The first years of life play an outsize role in human health. They are foundational to the development of the brain and the cardiovascular, immune and metabolic systems. Early childhood is when medical interventions to correct problems in any of … Read More
A report released yesterday by the Protecting Health Coverage in Louisiana Task Force shows that nearly half a million Louisianans would lose healthcare if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is overturned in the Texas v. United States case. Gov. John … Read More
Nearly everyone in Texas is affected by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In 2018, Attorney General Ken Paxton led a 20-state coalition lawsuit against the federal government which claimed the ACA’s individual mandate was unconstitutional. A Texas federal judge ruled … Read More
As Florida lawmakers prepare to start the 2020 legislative session, the state is being confronted with a $70.4 million loss in the coming months in the amount of Medicaid money it gets to fund hospitals, train future physicians and treat … Read More
In an opinion blending arrogance and cowardice in equal measure, an appeals court ruled yesterday that the Affordable Care Act contains a constitutional flaw—and that most or all of the law may have to be scrapped. But the court was … Read More
A ruling on a Texas-led lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act is imminent. The suit is a Republican-backed effort to eliminate the entire law after Congress failed to do so in 2017. Because state leaders asked that the lawsuit essentially … Read More
Health insurance coverage for tens of millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans could be wiped away pending the outcome of a legal case heard by a federal appeals court on July 9. A total of 18 Republican-led … Read More
A panel of federal judges in New Orleans sharply questioned attorneys defending the Affordable Care Act on Tuesday, increasing the chances that the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals may throw out at least part of the 2010 law, often … Read More
A federal judge’s ruling that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional is likely to be overturned on appeal and may boomerang politically on Republicans. Judge Reed O’Connor ruled for some 20 state plaintiffs that the ACA’s individual mandate is no … Read More
Medicaid — which has been a political football between Washington and state capitols during the past decade — scored big in Tuesday’s election. Following the vote, nearly 500,000 uninsured adults in five states are poised to gain Medicaid coverage under … Read More
Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, America’s access to healthcare has improved dramatically. Roughly 20 million Americans have gained health insurance coverage. Medicare beneficiaries can now get free preventive care and pay less for prescription … Read More
Wednesday is looking like yet another pivotal day in the life-or-death saga that has marked the history of the Affordable Care Act. In a Texas courtroom, a group of Republican attorneys general, led by Texas’ Ken Paxton, are set to … Read More
The Internal Revenue Service could hand Texas more than $300 million, after a federal court in North Texas ruled that the federal government improperly charged a handful of states millions in state Medicaid program fees that help fund the Affordable … Read More
AUSTIN — The Democrat challenging Ken Paxton is denouncing the attorney general for suing to wipe out the Affordable Care Act’s health care protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions. Justin Nelson, a Houston attorney, plans to hold a rally outside … Read More
SENATE GOP WANT NEW BILL TO BLUNT ACA LAWSUIT — Ten Republicans are proposing legislation that would force health insurers to cover everyone regardless of health status, POLITICO’s Adam Cancryn scoops. — Why they’re doing it: Conservative states, led by … Read More
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who sued in February, is leading a 20-state coalition along with Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel to fight against the Affordable Care Act (ACA), otherwise known as Obamacare. The trial date has been set for … Read More
TOPEKA – Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and Gov. Jeff Colyer are touting a federal court ruling handed down Tuesday that says the federal government must repay hundreds of millions of dollars to six states – including $142 million to … Read More
Texas children are being left behind without access to healthcare, partly as a result of action taken by former Gov. Rick Perry to cut the expansion of Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. According to a … Read More
Texas children are being left behind without access to healthcare, partly a result of action taken by former Gov. Rick Perry to cut the expansion of Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. According to a new … Read More
Texas, the nation’s second most-populous state, has a diverse population in terms of race, ethnicity, immigration status, income, and geography. One of 17 states that did not expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, Texas also has the largest number … Read More
Since the start of the Obama administration in 2009, Texas has sued the federal government more than 48 times, costing taxpayers millions of dollars. The state’s latest lawsuit is a renewed effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a … Read More
During last year’s fight against efforts in Washington to repeal the Affordable Care Act, poll after poll showed most Americans opposed Medicaid cuts that would turn back the clock on decades of civil rights progress for people with disabilities. Disability … Read More
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is under indictment for several felonies, had a grand time in Washington on Tuesday, convening with several of his fellow Republican attorneys general to roll out their plan to kill the Affordable Care Act … Read More
Few places need the federal government right now more than Texas does, as it begins to recover from Hurricane Harvey. Yet there are few states where the federal government is viewed with more resentment, suspicion and scorn. For Republicans, who … Read More
WASHINGTON – With the Republican-led Senate having failed to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act, Democrats are pressing Gov. Greg Abbott to reconsider his decision not to expand Texas’ Medicaid program. In a statement following a letter to the governor … Read More
WASHINGTON – With the Republican-led Senate having failed to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act, Democrats are pressing Gov. Greg Abbott to reconsider his decision not to expand Texas’ Medicaid program. In a statement following a letter to the governor … Read More
Molina Healthcare, a health insurer that specializes in the Obamacare and Medicaid healthcare programs for low-income and poor people, plans to cut about 1,400 jobs in the next few months, according to an internal company memo reviewed by Reuters. Molina’s … Read More
Last December, when the state’s Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) implemented a staggering $350 million cut to Medicaid reimbursements for much needed physical, occupational and speech therapy, it had a devastating impact on our state’s most vulnerable populations. It … Read More
Texas rejected billions in federal aid to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, calling the program “broken.” But now it’s asking the Trump administration to renew a deal that’s brought the state an additional $6.2 billion a year under … Read More
Texas rejected billions in federal aid to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, calling the program “broken.” But now it’s asking the Trump administration to renew a deal that’s brought the state an additional $6.2 billion a year under … Read More
The Senate’s health care bill would result in many disturbing consequences, including an estimated 23 million people losing their health insurance coverage by 2026 and increased premiums and other out-of-pocket costs. An estimated more than 2.5 million Texas would lose … Read More
As Republicans debate health care reform, there is one issue on the mind of many Texas families: Medicaid reform. Despite years of sleepless nights, emergency room trips and long stares into the financial abyss, Kate Robinson-Howell and Bob Howell of … Read More
Senate Republicans may provide higher federal funding to states with low Medicaid costs in their health care bill. The proposal under consideration gets to the heart of a key sticking point in the ongoing GOP discussions to overhaul the U.S. … Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans on Monday released their long-awaited plan for unraveling former President Barack Obama’s health care law, a package that would scale back the government’s role in helping people afford coverage and likely leave more Americans uninsured. … Read More
January 31, 2017 — Policy experts discussed what dental care might look like under U.S. President Donald Trump and the new Congress during a January 24 webinar. The panelists were particularly concerned about children’s dental benefits if the Patient Protection … Read More
A colleague at Compliance Shield was recently talking with a physician about our 2-day intensive “train the compliance officer” workshop and on the importance of having a compliance program. To which the physician responded, “Tell me why I should be … Read More
The eight steps you need to take to put together a program for yourself! Many people have asked what the process for establishing an effective compliance program is. At one point, having a compliance program was optional. As a result … Read More
AUSTIN – Texas health officials last year used the firing of the state’s contractor for processing Medicaid claims to justify giving a no-bid “emergency” deal for more money to a company whose lobbying team included several former appointees of then-Gov. … Read More
Following a controversial no-bid deal at the Health and Human Services Commission, Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, filed a bill on Monday that seeks to strengthen oversight of state contracting. Nelson’s legislation — Senate Bill 353 — would require an authority figure … Read More
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