Behind the Headlines is a publication of the Texas Hospital Association designed to help readers make sense of the complex healthcare news and policy environment. It provides hospital-relevant news summaries, the impact of health policies in local communities and analysis of the key issues shaping care delivery in Texas.
Contact: Carrie Williams, Chief Communications Officer, 512/465-1052
Burnout and Turnover
June 22, 2026
Stressed doctors, nurses and health providers may draw crowds for a tense episode of Grey’s Anatomy or The Pitt, but for the thousands of hospital care providers who have left the workforce because of burnout, the reality of stressful working conditions has far-reaching consequences.
Work In Progress
June 15, 2026
The shortage of healthcare workers has been on Texas’ radar for years now; although the healthcare workforce has grown dramatically over the last several years, demand continues to outpace supply. While hospitals work to strengthen employee retention, the healthcare sector – especially hospitals – needs more graduates.
Coverage Tollbooth
June 8, 2026
Across the country, patients are paying more through premiums, deductibles, copays and coinsurance. While many Texans technically have insurance coverage, an increasing number struggle to actually use it because the out-of-pocket costs are too high. The result is a growing number of people who are insured on paper but unable to afford care in practice.
The “Chart of the Century”
June 1, 2026
A viral graphic dubbed the “Chart of the Century,” based on consumer price index (CPI) data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is fueling conversations around affordability, and shows hospital services as the fastest-rising in a list of consumer costs between January 2000 and December 2025.
Prices & Patient Peace of Mind
May 26, 2026
Patients don’t access healthcare in insurance headquarters or pharmaceutical boardrooms. They experience it in hospitals, emergency rooms and clinics. All roads – from reimbursement cuts, rising drug costs and insurer-driven reforms to supply and salary inflation – lead to increased operating costs for hospitals and ultimately, raise the price for patients. Yet patients still expect that when they need care, a hospital will be there, and that they’ll be able to afford the bill afterward.