Tag Archives: health care

Medicaid expansion pressure is having an effect

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Despite the mountains of evidence in its favor, I still can’t say that I see a path to Medicaid expansion in Texas. But stories like this do give me some hope. Adamantly opposed to expanding Medicaid coverage under President Barack … Continue reading →

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Not a big enough picture

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The headline on this story reads “County mulls big-picture health council”, but a read of the story makes it clear that there’s a big piece of this picture missing from the discussion. Harris County is discussing a big-picture approach to … Continue reading →

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Working the county Medicaid expansion angle

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

As statewide Medicaid expansion is being pushed in Austin, some activists are going to various County Commissioners Courts to push for the county option to expand Medicaid as well. “A broad spectrum of people across business, faith and health care … Continue reading →

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Then YOU fix it!

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Stuff like this really pisses me off. On Wednesday, the [Senate Finance] committee heard testimony from state officials on the proposed health budget, which grew 2 percent from the current biennium budget to $70 billion. The chairman of the committee, … Continue reading →

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Yet another report saying we should expand Medicaid in Texas

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the fiscally responsible thing to do, in addition to being the morally correct thing to do. Expanding Medicaid is a “smart, affordable and fair” decision for Texas, according to a report issued by Billy Hamilton, a non-partisan consultant commissioned … Continue reading →

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Dewhurst and Nelson push Medicaid reform

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I’m reserving judgment on this for now. Lt. Gov David Dewhurst and Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, on Wednesday touted Senate proposals they say would bring down spending on Medicaid, the state’s health program for the poor, by instituting quality-based … Continue reading →

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Like it or not, Obamacare is coming to Texas

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Better Texas blog reminds us that as the Affordable Care Act fully kicks in next year there are things that need to be done in Texas to be compliant [W]hat I hope to see are bills that prepare Texas … Continue reading →

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Expanding Medicaid is about more than money

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a matter of life and death If Texas doesn’t expand Medicaid, it will reject more than $100 billion in federal money the first decade, according to the state’s own figures. To get that sizeable federal reimbursement, the state would … Continue reading →

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The revenue estimate is in

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

And under normal circumstances it would be very good news. Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, laying out the parameters for state spending on the eve of the legislative session, said Monday that the rebounding Texas economy gives lawmakers $8.8 billion unallocated … Continue reading →

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All or nothing on Medicaid expansion

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Partial Medicaid expansion, in whatever the form, will not be an option. “Consistent with the law, there is not an option for enhanced match for a partial or phased in Medicaid expansion,” acting Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator … Continue reading →

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No smokers need apply

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, is this a big can of worms. Methodist Hospital System in Houston this month announcedit will implement a tobacco-free hiring policy on Jan. 1, joining the Texas Medical Center and Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, which have had similar policies … Continue reading →

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Perryman for expanding Medicaid

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Economist Ray Perryman makes the straightforward economic case for expanding Medicaid in Texas. According to our analysis, every $1 spent by the State of Texas to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act returns $1.29 in dynamic State government … Continue reading →

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Yet another reason to expand Medicaid

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Grits: A friend forwarded me a handout being circulated at the Harris County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council detailing a pair of studies of “Kendra’s Law” out of New York, which provides court-ordered outpatient mental health treatment to a small subset … Continue reading →

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Counties may try to expand Medicaid on their own

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Washington Post reports on the efforts of county and hospital district officials in some of Texas’ largest counties to bypass Rick Perry’s refusal to expand Medicaid for Texas and seek approval to do it themselves for their own jurisdictions. … Continue reading →

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We’re not number one!

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations, Harris County, for not having the highest rate of uninsured residents in the country any more. An estimated 29.9 percent of Harris County residents lacked health insurance in 2010, according to the new U.S. Census Bureau data, a smaller … Continue reading →

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We need more doctors and nurses

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

If the state of Texas ever expands Medicaid, or less likely does something on its own to improve access to health care for its residents, it’s going to have to confront a different problem: A persistent shortage of doctors and … Continue reading →

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Privatizing psych hospitals makes as much sense as privatizing prisons

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Especially when it’s the same outfit doing the privatizing in each case. Sixteen months after the Montgomery County Mental Health Treatment Facility opened in Conroe, the state’s first publicly funded, privately run psychiatric hospital is facing at least $53,000 in … Continue reading →

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The working poor are pretty much screwed in Texas

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

These are the people that Rick Perry doesn’t care about. Jose Gallegos’ company eliminated employee health insurance to save money, so when his gut started hurting and his skin took on a yellow tinge, he resisted seeing a doctor. When … Continue reading →

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Rick Perry must love federal intervention

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

He sure does his dangedest to invite it. Perry, a Republican, has vowed not to expand Medicaid and not to create an insurance exchange. Consumer advocates in Texas say the Perry administration has also been dragging its feet when it comes to … Continue reading →

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Medicaid expansion isn’t just about hospitals

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Grits has an insight. At [last] Monday’s House County Affairs hearing, Chairman Garnet Coleman noted the irony in response to testimony by witnesses regarding the effectiveness of Veterans Courts, which are essentially mental-health courts aimed at current and former military members. … Continue reading →

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Medicaid expansion: Not as expensive as the state claimed it would be

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Remember last year when the state Health and Human Services Commission claimed that Medicaid expansion would cost the state of Texas $27 billion over ten years, causing every Republican in the state to have a fainting spell and a hissy … Continue reading →

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No Medicaid expansion for you!

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

So much for that. Texas will not expand Medicaid or establish a health insurance exchange, two major tenets of the federal health reform that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld last month, Gov. Rick Perry said in an early morning announcement. … Continue reading →

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We’re #50!

Posted on July 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The state of Texas is dead last in delivering health care. The 2011 State Snapshots report is based on 155 quality measures gathered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human … Continue reading →

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What will Texas do now?

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Now that the Affordable Care Act has been upheld by the Supreme Court, there are two big issues that Texas will have to face. (*) One is the health care exchanges, and the other is Medicaid expansion, now that there’s … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS upholds Obamacare

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

You can read the decision here. I’ll skip the analysis, since you can find a link to someone saying something about it on approximately 97% of the Internet today, but I will give a few links of my own, to … Continue reading →

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One million uninsured kids

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

One point two million uninsured kids in Texas, actually. But who’s counting? More than 1 million Texas children remain without health insurance, and those kids are not getting the care they need. The startling condition of the state’s children came … Continue reading →

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Perry’s empty promise on the Women’s Health Program

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Our Governor talks big, but his words have no meaning. The state will find the cash to continue a women’s health program whose federal funding is threatened because of a decision to keep Planned Parenthood from participating, Gov. Rick Perry … Continue reading →

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Millions more Texans will have health insurance under the Affordable Care Act

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t happen soon enough. The percentage of Texans with health insurance will increase to 91 percent – up from 74 percent today – after the national health care law takes effect in 2014, the state’s Medicaid director told lawmakers Monday. … Continue reading →

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A place to start

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

At least one elected Republican is feeling a bit angsty about the Republican war on women’s health. For some GOP lawmakers, the issue gets deeply personal, and the line between party loyalty, allegiance to anti-abortion politics and public health is … Continue reading →

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National single payer health care conference in Houston this weekend

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Healthcare-NOW! National Single Payer Strategy Conference in Houston  WHAT: Over 120 Representatives from 25 states and 52 organizations meet in Houston to plan strategies to advance a single payer national health insurance plan in the USA. The … Continue reading →

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We’re #12!

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The twelfth most obese state in the country, that is. They say everything’s bigger in Texas — and apparently, that includes the people. Texas ranks as the 12th most obese state in the U.S., according to a new study by … Continue reading →

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From the “Get your government out of my Medicare” files

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be fun. Across the nation, U.S. House Republicans are getting an earful from their constituents about a GOP budget proposal to overhaul Medicare, the federal health care program that insures the elderly. The Republican plan, written by … Continue reading →

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Hospital infections

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There’s something missing from this story. Do you know what it is? The most common hospital-contracted malady among older patients in Houston is systemic vascular infections, a problem often caused by unsanitary or improper procedures during their hospital stay, a … Continue reading →

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No, he can’t

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This week, President Obama gave Republican critics of the Affordable Care Act a way out, if they met certain conditions. President Obama, who has stood by his landmark health care law through court attacks and legislative efforts to repeal it, … Continue reading →

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