Texas Insight’s Recent Reports
- Transition Legislative Oversight Committee: Health and Human Services: Since 2015, the Health and Human Services (HHS) system has undergone extensive changes to its organizational structure in accordance with statutory changes made during the 84th and 85th legislative sessions, and based on management recommendations of the Sunset Advisory Commission issued in 2015…
- DFPS Joint Budget Hearing: The Department of Family and Protective Services is requesting funding above the FY 2020-21 baseline for eight groups of exceptional items totaling $172.4 million in general revenue ($183.1 million in all funds) in FY 2020 and $214.1 million ($226.8 million in All Funds) in FY 2021. The request includes 982 FTEs in FY 2020 and 1281 FTEs in FY 2021. In order to preserve the trust that the Legislature had for the agency in 2017-19, each request is justified by either a measurable need or tied to a quantifiable benefit.
- HHSC Joint Budget Hearing: The submission of HHSC’s Legislative Appropriations Request for the next biennium represents a culmination of months of evaluation of agency programs and operations. HHSC also considered stakeholder input received in April regarding programs and issues of greatest importance to the people [HHSC serves]. As [HHSC puts] forward [their] most critical funding needs, [they] have grouped the budget proposals into the categories detailed in this report.
- Senate Committee on Finance: The Senate Finance Committee met to hear invited testimony only on the following interim charge related to health and human services: Monitor the implementation of the following funding initiative: Health Care Costs Across State Agencies – Monitor coordination efforts among state agencies to improve health care and reduce costs pursuant to Article IX, Section 10.06 and Section 10.07.
- HHSC/DSHS: Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force: The Task Force met to hear the findings and recommendations of their legislatively required report. These findings and recommendations were presented to the House Committee on Public Health and are presented in this document. For additional information, see the report on the Committee on Public Health.
- House Committee on Public Health: The committee gathered for their final interim meeting to consider the following interim charges and bill implementation update: Interim Charge 1: Review state programs that provide women’s health services and recommend solutions to increase access to effective and timely care…; Interim Charge 8: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 85th Legislature…; and Implementation update regarding H.B.337 (85R).
Looking Ahead
- September 24, 2018: Texas Autism Council Meeting
- September 28, 2018: Proposed Medicaid Payment Rates for Small and Large, State-Operated Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with an Intellectual Disability
State and Federal Healthcare News
Texas
- Updated: Under pressure, TRS board holds the line on TRS-Care Benefits
- Lawmakers urge HHSC to move on contracting reforms, promise new action on agency contracts in 86th
- UTMB Zika vaccine shows promise against aggressive brain cancer
- 5,000 Medicare patients shut out from Austin Regional Clinic
- West Nile virus claims first Harris County victim, man from southwest dies of the mosquito-borne illness
- County Jails Struggle To Treat Mentally Ill Inmates
- A year later, officials promote progress of opioid task force
U.S.
- Ordering opioids online? Mail carrier may also deliver handcuffs
- Ruling on Health Care Subsidies Could Prove Costly for Government
- Lawmakers consider easing costs on drug companies as part of opioids deal
- Trump Claims to Protect Pre-Existing Health Conditions. That’s not What the Government Says.
- Trump’s HHS diverting funds from NIH, CDC to pay for increased number of migrant children
- Trump admin awards over $1 billion in grants to fight opioid epidemic