Healthcare Advocate: Sept. 3, 2026

Table of Contents THA Prompts Action on Medicaid Funding Impasse With Texas hospitals facing unprecedented daily financial losses starting this week, THA prompted fast and widespread media attention on Medicaid and the ongoing impasse between the state and the federal government. Starting Tuesday, hospitals began facing $27 million a day in losses as the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services…

Healthcare Advocate: Aug. 20, 2026

Table of Contents THA Corrects Narrative on AI in Healthcare Today, the House Public Health Committee held a hearing on social media’s impact on youth health and well-being, infant mortality prevention, the use of artificial intelligence in health care, and public health trends and prevention. THA testified on the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare, correcting the narrative by clarifying…

Healthcare Advocate: Aug. 13, 2026

Table of Contents Trump Issues Executive Order on Vaccine Recommendations Earlier this week, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to align core childhood vaccine recommendations with practices in peer, developed countries. The order designates three tiers of childhood immunizations: those recommended for all children (including MMR, DTaP, polio, Hib, pneumococcal, HPV, and varicella), those recommended for high-risk…

Healthcare Advocate: Aug. 6, 2026

Table of Contents Abbott Extends Workforce Pell Grant Deadline Governor Greg Abbott announced that Texas is extending the application submission deadline for Workforce Pell Grant-eligible programs to Sept. 1. This is the second time the deadline has been extended; this program expands access to affordable, short-term training that prepares Texans and provides a direct path to for good-paying, high-demand careers…

Healthcare Advocate: July 30, 2026

Table of Contents Abbott Announces $5.8M for Emergency & Trauma Care Workforce Training Governor Greg Abbott announced 24 grants totaling more than $5.8 million to graduate medical and nursing schools across Texas to help train more doctors and nurses in emergency and trauma care. The funding, distributed through the Emergency and Trauma Care Education Partnership Program (ETEP) and administered by…

Healthcare Advocate: July 23, 2026

Table of Contents Abbott Directs State Agencies to Investigate Birth Tourism in Healthcare This week, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order directing the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), the Department of State Health Services, the HHSC Office of Inspector General, the Texas Medical Board, the Texas Board of Nursing and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation…

Healthcare Advocate: July 16, 2026

Table of Contents Abbott Issues Joint Guidance on 2028-29 Budget Priorities In preparation of the Legislative Appropriations Request process for the 2028-2029 biennium, state leaders this week directed state agencies and institutions of higher education to display “prudent stewardship” of taxpayer resources by cutting three percent from their base budget requests. The guidance from Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan…

Healthcare Advocate: July 9, 2026

Table of Contents Annual Survey of Hospitals Response Due July 16 The 2025 Cooperative DSHS/AHA/THA Annual Survey of Hospitals and the 2025 Annual Statement of Community Benefits Standard are due Thursday, July 16 – extended by three days from the original July 13 deadline due to technical difficulties. Full participation in the survey is required under state law. The data…

Healthcare Advocate: July 2, 2026

Table of Contents DOE Releases Revised Rule, Nursing RE-Classified as “Professional” Degree The Department of Education (DOE) issued a revised rule on Monday addressing “professional” degrees following a federal judge’s order. This revision returns the policy to the previous status quo, allowing students pursuing graduate degrees in nursing, physical therapy and several other healthcare fields to be designated as professional…

Health Care Advocate: June 25, 2026

Table of Contents THA Files Amicus Brief in Support of State of Texas v. Oz Lawsuit This week, THA filed an amicus brief at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the State of Texas’ lawsuit against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The lawsuit arises from CMS’s reinterpretation of the permissibility of private “hold-harmless arrangements”…