Health Care 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”…

Healthcare Advocate: June 18, 2026

Table of Contents Texas Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Corporate Practice of Medicine Case Last Friday, the Supreme Court of Texas agreed to hear a case that could potentially redefine the limits of how hospitals can implement administrative policies and processes for physicians practicing in the hospital. THA had twice urged the court to accept the case for review –…

Healthcare Advocate: June 11, 2026

Table of Contents THA Hosts San Antonio Listening Session Last week, THA hosted its second of three statewide listening sessions at CHRISTUS Children’s in San Antonio. The THA advocacy team and local hospitals discussed rising healthcare costs, behavioral health access, workforce shortages, efforts to close care gaps and other issues affecting hospitals’ ability to serve patients and communities. The group…

Healthcare Advocate: June 4, 2026

Table of Contents THA Members Testify in House Hearings On Thursday, the House Public Health, Insurance and Governmental Oversight Committees held hearings to monitor and discuss the implementation and impact of several pieces of state and federal legislation. In the Public Health hearing, John Henderson, CEO of the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals (TORCH), spoke to the implementation…

Health Care Advocate: May 28, 2026

Table of Contents THA Corrects Narrative During HHS Hearing On Wednesday, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing to examine the drivers of rising healthcare and insurance costs in Texas. The hearing was structured across five panels, covering how the current landscape took shape, opportunities to reduce health care and drug costs and monitoring of legislative implementation.…

Health Care Advocate: May 21, 2026

Table of Contents THA to Testify at 5/27 Senate HHS Hearing Next Wednesday, the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee will hold an interim hearing to examine the drivers of rising healthcare and insurance costs. Notably, the hearing notice explicitly called for discussion of facility fees as a business practice that has contributed to rising healthcare costs. The hearing…

Health Care Advocate: May 14, 2026

Table of Contents Don’t Miss the Medicaid Revalidation Deadline The Texas Health and Human Services Commission requires all Medicaid providers to regularly revalidate their enrollment to continue serving patients and receiving payment. If you’re due for revalidation, it’s critical to complete the process in the Provider Enrollment and Management System (PEMS) on time. Why it Matters: Most providers are required…