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Baltimore, Maryland, June 14, 2023

What They're Watching: Kevin Denmark, Carelon Behavioral Health

| May 11, 2023 | Texas

Kevin Denmark, Texas state director and vice president of account partnerships with Carelon Behavioral Health, says behavioral healthcare has "come a long way" in Texas. At our recent 2023 Texas State of Reform Health Policy Conference, Denmark provided an overview of some of the key initiatives he's focused on from...[ Read More ]

Texas bill proposing Medicaid regulations to ensure direct care for long-term care residents scheduled for hearing

| May 8, 2023 | Texas

A bill that would require nursing facilities through the STAR + PLUS Medicaid managed care program to meet the state’s direct care payment ratio is advancing through the legislature. After passing the Senate, Senate Bill 1629 is scheduled for a hearing in the House Human Services Committee on May 9th. ...[ Read More ]

A ‘turf battle’ between nurses and doctors: HEAL Texans Act aims to remove physician oversight of nurses in primary care

| Apr 28, 2023 | Texas

Senate Bill 1700, which would expand the authority of advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) to allow them to independently provide primary care services without the supervision of a physician, has been sitting in the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee awaiting action since mid-March.     Advocates for the...[ Read More ]

Texas policies would restrict proposed federal expansion of healthcare coverage to DACA recipients

| Apr 26, 2023 | Texas

CMS released a notice of proposed rulemaking on Monday that would expand access to healthcare for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients across all states, if finalized.     The notice was a follow-up to the Biden administration’s announcement earlier this month to expand healthcare coverage to DACA recipients...[ Read More ]

What They're Watching: Jenifer Tertel, Medical City Healthcare

| Apr 25, 2023 | Texas

Finding ways to support the healthcare workforce is more important than ever. In this edition of "What They're Watching," Jenifer Tertel, regional vice president of human resources for Medical City Healthcare, says part of the solution is increasing clinical capacity to ensure facilities can accommodate every Texan who wants to...[ Read More ]

What They're Watching: Sen. Nathan Johnson, Texas Legislature

| Apr 24, 2023 | Texas

In continuation of a long-term effort, Democratic Sen. Nathan Johnson is again advocating for the expansion of Texas Medicaid during this year's legislative session. We caught up with the senator at our North Texas conference last fall. In light of continually increasing public support for expansion, Johnson introduced three different...[ Read More ]