Parkland Memorial Hospital and its clinics could treat more patients, but lose existing funds

AUSTIN – Parkland Memorial Hospital and its 11 neighborhood clinics could treat more patients but lose existing funds under the federal health care overhaul and several recent state proposals, the hospital's chief told a House panel Thursday. Ron Anderson, president and CEO of the Parkland Health & Hospital System, said he welcomes many features of the federal law, including an expected addition of 1.2 million poor adults to the state Medicaid program in 2014.
Garrett: http://dallasne.ws/bleOk8

Is health exchange a must-pass bill for 2011?

Should we add to the short list of must-pass bills for next session a bill to create a state health insurance exchange? Unless Texas wants to let U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to set up its exchange, the Legislature will need to act in 2011, several speakers said this week at a forum in Austin about federal health care legislation.
Garrett reports: http://dallasne.ws/doEWIq

Lawsuit widens against new health care law; Texas AG Greg Abbott, signer No. 4, applauds

Oops. Amid speculation in The New York Times and elsewhere this week that they may lack legal standing to challenge the federal health care law's so-called individual mandate, the big group of states that have sued in a federal court in the Florida Panhandle have recalibrated. Today, they added a Panama City, Fla., auto shop owner and a Washington state man who chooses to be uninsured as plaintiffs, as well as NFIB, the lobby group for small business. http://tinyurl.com/2ua2c5j

More squawking as Texas 'tab' for health bill grows

State social services czar Tom Suehs, even while pitching out one fourth of his previous cost estimate for what federal health care legislation will cost Texas, surprised Democrats and some proponents of the bill today: He upped his 10 year cost estimate to $27 billion, from some $24 billion earlier. Garrett reports.