Texas Medical Association Critical of Legislation
from My Fox Lubbock, April 20, 2009
Senate Bill 1500 offers an option for doctors in rural areas who cannot afford to own and operate their own practice. To watch the entire clip and the interview with Juan Fitz, MD, click here. More

Texas Senate Passes Sweeping Medicad Bill
from The Houston Chronicle, April 17, 2009
A wide-reaching Medicaid reform bill unanimously approved by the Texas Senate on Friday aims to create a more patient-focused, quality-based system - but some of the benefits may be a long way off. The legislation by Sen. Jane Nelson (R- Flower Mound) includes measures that would base insurance payouts to doctors and hospitals on patient outcomes. More

State Senate Passes Bill to Raise Smoking Age to 19
from The Dallas Morning News, April 16, 2009
Eighteen-year-old Texans could no longer legally purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products under an anti-smoking bill the Senate passed on Wednesday. The legislation - raising the minimum smoking age to 19 - is aimed at the one in five 18-year-olds in Texas who are smokers, including many who picked up the habit in their midteens. It was approved on a 25-5 vote. More

With Son in Remission, Family Looks for Coverage
from The New York Times, April 20, 2009
When Danna Walker left the second-floor conference room and returned tearily to her desk - where someone had already deposited a packing box for her belongings - her first thought was not of the 14 years she had worked for DHL or the loss of her $37,000-a-year salary. It was of Jake. In three months, once her benefits ran out, how in the world would she provide health insurance for Jake, her mountainous, red-headed 21-year-old son, who had learned three years earlier that he had metastatic testicular cancer? More

When Doctors Opt Out
from The Wall Street Journal, April 17, 2009
Here's something that has gotten lost in the drive to institute universal health insurance: Health insurance doesn't automatically lead to health care. And with more and more doctors dropping out of one insurance plan or another, especially government plans, there is no guarantee that you will be able to see a physician no matter what coverage you have. More

Well Known ER Doc, Six Others Named to Medical Board
from The Austin American-Statesman, April 20, 2009
Dr. Pat Crocker, chief of emergency medicine at Dell Children’s Medical Center, has been named to the Texas Medical Board, the agency charged with licensing and disciplining the state’s doctors. Gov. Rick Perry appointed six others along with Crocker to the 19-member board, the governor’s office. Four of the seven are current members who are being reappointed to new six-year terms. More

Editorial: Stem-Cell Give-and-Take
from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, April 20, 2009
The stem-cell fault line is in full view these days in the Texas Legislature. And to understand the actions of the players, it is important to define your terms. Adult stem-cell research holds promise potentially for unlocking cures for chronic diseases, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative conditions. Embryonic stem-cell research, which scientists believe is even more promising, is what attracts political heat. More

Opinion: Let’s Back Bills to Improve Diagnostic Imaging
from The Houston Chronicle, April 14, 2009
Several bills have been introduced in the Texas Legislature that will vastly improve diagnostic imaging practices in our state. These bills will improve patient care and safety and will also help curb the skyrocketing cost of health care. More

Study: Uninsured Patients Visit ER Less Often
from The Houston Chronicle, April 17, 2009
The uninsured in Harris County are visiting hospital emergency rooms for minor illnesses less often because of improved access to primary care programs and clinics, according to a study recent study. In 2007, Harris County hospitals saw a 3.5 percent drop in the percentage of primary care-related visits to emergency rooms by uninsured patients and a 5.5 percent drop over a three-year period, according to the University of Texas School of Public Health study. More

Opinion: Malpractice Damage Caps Not a Cure for High Health Costs
from The Dallas Morning News, April 21, 2009
Capping malpractice damages is a health care reform idea that has swirled around Washington for years. But would it make health care less expensive? The evidence doesn't show it. For many years, doctors have complained that they pay huge insurance premiums to defend themselves from malpractice suits. They're right. The premiums are staggering. More

GOP Stumbling in Health Care Fight
from Politico, April 20, 2009
Republicans look across the health reform battlefield and see the Democrats organized, energized and flush with cash - with several groups lined up to promote the president’s plan, and a message honed by years of preparation. Then they look into their own camp - and get nervous. More