December 19, 2013 — United Health Foundation’s 2013 America’s Health Rankings report has ranked U.S. states according to their health and includes visits to the dentist in its data. The healthiest states have a higher concentration of dentists, and their … Read More
For Martha Blaine, the 10 Affordable Care Act “navigators” who meet clients daily on behalf of the Community Council of Greater Dallas blend in with the rest of her staff. “They are all employees,” said Blaine, the organization’s executive director. … Read More
Washington, DC – A Houston doctor has been arrested on charges related to her alleged participation in a $158 million Medicare fraud scheme involving false claims for mental health treatment.Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal … Read More
Back on October 15th, 2012, now more than a year ago, Texas Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation John Scott testified before the House Committee on Public Health in the Capitol. TDMR has just reviewed the archived video from the … Read More
Before the Thanksgiving long weekend, TDMR received a copy of the August 2012 audit conducted by the HHSC Office of the Inspector General on the Texas Medicaid and Healthcare Partnership. As far as we know this is the first time … Read More
On April 1, Texas’ most powerful elected officials gathered at the state Capitol to rail against Medicaid. In a packed press conference room with protesters shouting outside the door, Republican Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, and U.S. Sens. … Read More
A year after Texas was slated to increase Medicaid payments to primary care physicians under the Affordable Care Act, the state has received federal approval to implement the change. Although the ACA required states to increase payments to primary care … Read More
In fast-growing Texas, which is home to one in 11 of the nation’s children, child poverty has continued to rise despite an improving economy, according to a new report from the Center for Public Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank. … Read More
AUSTIN — Insurance companies, brokers and consumer advocates say a highly publicized national wave of health plan cancellations largely bypassed Texas. There are several complex reasons, but one of the biggest is this: Following the example of Arkansas and other … Read More
The Texas Sunset Commission is evaluating the state Health and Human Services Commission this coming year under its mandate to periodically review Texas state agencies for their operation and need to exist. About the Commission The Texas Legislature created the … Read More
Critics of the Affordable Care Act have lambasted President Obama’s signature legislation as it struggles with technical glitches and as thousands of people nationally report the cancellation of their existing health insurance plans. But a report released Thursday by Families … Read More
November 19, 2013 — A New York judge on November 18 ordered a new trial in the Small Smiles case after ruling that a lawyer for the insurance company stalked the jury during the trial. The judge found that the … Read More
BROWNSVILLE, Texas –– Texas spent $400 million on speech therapy for children under Medicaid last year, up 30 percent from three years ago. Speech therapists along a 76-mile stretch of Texas Highway 83, from Brownsville to Mission, collect more money … Read More
WASHINGTON — Bowing to pressure, President Barack Obama on Thursday announced changes to his health care law to give insurance companies the option to keep offering consumers plans that would otherwise be canceled. Obama to allow sale of plans canceled … Read More
After a 40-year career, Dr. Paul Dunn is now on the verge of bankruptcy because he helped Medicaid children. In 2012, HHSC-OIG placed Dunn’s practice in Levelland under a 100% “credible allegation of fraud” payment hold for his orthodontic Medicaid … Read More
Greg Abbott outlines many policy proposals including passing law to prevent state agencies from working with the Affordable Care Act. Abbott Unveils Proposals for Privacy, Ethics and DNA | The Texas Tribune.
In Dallas to raise cash for Senate candidates, President Barack Obama took a side trip Wednesday to pressure Gov. Rick Perry to expand Medicaid and thank volunteers working to help uninsured Texans. He called it a “no-brainer” that Texas could … Read More
WASHINGTON — With 6.4 million uninsured residents, Texas is a major target for anyone eager to put a dent in the number of Americans without health coverage. It’s also a bastion of resistance to Obamacare. The governor won’t set up … Read More
Austin: (PR Web): Two administrative law judges with the Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) have issued their proposal for decision in the case of Antoine Dental Center of Houston (ADC) SOAH Docket No. 529-13-0997. ADC had been placed … Read More
The Office of the Inspector General website now has a report detailing the 2012 fraud detection and recovery activity of all managed care organizations (MCOs) that participate in Texas Medicaid. Under Texas Government Code, Section 531.113, the MCOs are required … Read More
Even proponents of the Affordable Care Act admit the rollout of its signature website, healthcare.gov, has been rocky. But the Texas Hospital Association said Monday that criticisms of the website are a distraction from more significant problems with health care … Read More
They haven’t even won their respective primaries yet, but the leading candidates for Texas governor — Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott and Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis — are engaged in a bitter fight in federal court. Abbott and Davis Fight Before Fight … Read More
As consumers weigh coverage options available in the newly launched federal health insurance marketplace, three of the largest medical associations in Texas have raised concerns about the uncertainty of provider networks offered by health plans in the marketplace. Full story … Read More
Kennard Law, P.C. based in Houston, Texas and with offices in San Antonio, El Paso, and the Rio Grande Valley, has filed suit against ACS/Xerox for unpaid overtime wages. The firm, which specializes in employment law, filed the suit on … Read More
by Becca Aaronson, The Texas Tribune October 16, 2013 Texas has the greatest number of poor, uninsured adults who will fall in a “coverage gap” created by states that chose not to expand Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, according … Read More
At the recent Texas Tribune Tribunefest on health care held between September 27th to 29th, there were a number of interesting sessions. The second session moderated by Tribune health care reporter Becca Aaronson discussed Medicaid. Entitled, “The Fight of Over … Read More
by Becca Aaronson October 15, 2013 Texans discovered nearly two years ago that the state was spending more on orthodontic claims in its Medicaid program than the other 49 states combined, but recovery of millions in purportedly misspent Medicaid money … Read More
Nearly two years after news broke that Texas spent more on orthodontic claims in its Medicaid program than the other 49 states combined, the Health and Human Services Commission’s Office of Inspector General is barely knee deep in its effort … Read More
The health care track at the Texas Tribune Festival featured panel discussions on the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, new developments coming out of Texas, and abortion and women’s health. TribuneFest: Audio From the Health Care Track | The Texas Tribune.
AUSTIN – Families with children who might qualify for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) should apply for children’s coverage through the state to avoid a delay in getting help because of problems with the new federal exchange. … Read More
TDMR has put together this article to give dental and other Medicaid providers some common language understanding of the provisions of Senate Bill 1803 now in force to protect their due process rights. We have used the text of … Read More
As the U.S. Census Bureau released new statistics showing Texas again ranks highest for the percentage of people without health insurance, Gov. Rick Perry quietly laid out the next moves in his ongoing effort to derail Obamacare. “We made the … Read More
A push for stricter training requirements for insurance “navigators,” who will help uninsured residents sign up for health coverage, is fueling the latest political clash over the Affordable Care Act in Texas. In Texas, “Navigator” Training Becomes Political Football … Read More
There is very little commentary on the TDMR website in relation to the DWI arrest last September of Jack Stick, former State Rep and Bee Cave judge who is the Deputy Inspector General for Enforcement for HHSC-OIG. As his case … Read More
September 23, 2013 — A Texas judge has ordered the state to return $1.3 million that was withheld from Harlingen Family Dentistry (HFD) based on unfounded allegations of fraud on orthodontic Medicaid billings. Travis County Judge Amy Clark Meachum has … Read More
This morning the San Antonio Express published a feature article headlining the case of Harlingen Family Dentistry and Dr. Juan Villarreal and his fight against the Office of Inspector General and their “credible allegation of fraud” payment holds. Reporter Jeremy … Read More
SPECIAL TO THE EXPRESS NEWS- HARLINGEN,Tx July 30,2013- Dr. Juan Villarreal, a dentist at Harlingen Family in Harlingen Texas gets ready to check a patient at his office Tuesday July 30,2013. Photo by Delcia Lopez via In Medicaid, docs guilty … Read More
A Travis County judge has awarded more than $22,000 in legal fees to an Amarillo law firm that helped expose more than $1 million in Medicaid fraud at a local orthodontics clinic. Amarillo attorney Phil Russ, who represented three former … Read More
Harlingen Family Dentistry has won a tremendous legal victory this week. Travis County District Court Judge Amy Clark Meachum has granted HFD’s motion for a writ of mandamus to force the Office of Inspector General to return more than $1 … Read More
Whether they have a good income or a lower one, Texans lag behind much of the nation in access to and quality of health care. May need subscription to reach story. Texans lag in health care access and quality, regardless … Read More
