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News Releases
June 5, 2013
Durden Named DARS Commissioner
AUSTIN ― Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek has selected Veronda Durden as commissioner for the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS). Durden is currently an assistant commissioner at the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS).
[DARS Commissioner]
March 18, 2013
Preliminary Claims Data for Texas Women’s Health Program
AUSTIN ― The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has released preliminary claims data for the new Texas Women’s Health Program. Providers have six months to submit claims for services so data for January 2013 is still incomplete. Last year, 63 percent of the January claims had been submitted by the end of February. [Data for Texas Women’s Health Program]
Feb. 11, 2013
Scam Targets Lone Star Card Holders in Houston
AUSTIN ― The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is urging Houston residents to be aware of a scam artist requesting Lone Star Cards in exchange for free cell phones. [Loan Star Card Holders] [en Español]
Jan. 17, 2013
Hupp Joins HHSC to Lead Veterans’ Initiative
AUSTIN ― Former State Rep. Suzanna Gratia Hupp has joined the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to lead a multi-agency effort to strengthen services for veterans. [Suzanna Hupp Joins HHSC]
Jan. 7, 2013
Texas Women’s Health Program Can Serve More Women, Survey Finds
AUSTIN – The new Texas Women’s Health Program has enough providers to serve even more women than before, according to a survey just completed by Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) researchers. [Women's Health Capacity Survey]
Nov. 13, 2012
Judge Specia Appointed DFPS Commissioner
AUSTIN – Senior district judge John J. Specia, Jr., a founding member and jurist in residence for the Supreme Court Children’s Commission, has been named the next commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services. [Judge Specia Appointment]
Oct. 31, 2012
State Women’s Health Program Ready if Federal Funding is Cut
AUSTIN – Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek, M.D., today announced that the new Texas Women’s Health Program is ready to step in and deliver services to low-income women if Washington cuts off funding to the Medicaid program. [State Women’s Health Program Ready]
Oct. 30, 2012
Weizenbaum to Lead Department of Aging and Disability Services
AUSTIN – Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek, M.D., today announced that Jon Weizenbaum will be the next commissioner of the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS). Weizenbaum has been deputy commissioner at DADS since 2006 and has twice served as the agency’s interim commissioner. [New DADS Commissioner]
Oct. 26, 2012
HHSC Ready to Launch State Women’s Health Program Nov. 1
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) will continue with plans to launch a state-funded Texas Women’s Health Program after a judge issued an order today preventing the agency from enforcing state law that bans affiliates of abortion providers from the Medicaid program. [Women’s Health Program Launch]
Oct. 25, 2012
HHSC Statement on Women’s Health Program Ruling
AUSTIN – Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek, M.D., issued the following statement after the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals lifted a lower court’s injunction and cleared the way for enforcement of a ban against affiliates of abortion providers in the Women’s Health Program. [Women’s Health Program Ruling]
Oct. 9, 2012
Ghahremani Named Texas Medicaid Director
Kay Ghahremani has been named the state’s Medicaid and CHIP director. She has served as deputy director of the division for the past five years. [New Medicaid and CHIP Director]
Aug. 14, 2012
Inspector General: Law Prohibits Free Gifts for Medicaid Clients
AUSTIN – The Health and Human Services Commission’s Office of Inspector General is reminding doctors and dentists that state and federal law prohibits giving free gifts to Medicaid clients. [Law Prohibits Free Gifts]
Aug. 13, 2012
Weizenbaum to Serve as Interim DADS Commissioner
AUSTIN – Jon Weizenbaum will serve as the interim commissioner for the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) during the search for the agency’s next leader.
Weizenbaum has served as DADS deputy commissioner since May 2006. He also served as interim DADS commissioner from September 2009 until Chris Traylor was named to the commissioner position in January 2010. [Interim DADS Commissioner]
July 3, 2012
Medicaid Initiative Seeks to Reduce Risk of Premature Births
AUSTIN – A new Medicaid initiative will provide pregnant women at high risk of delivering premature infants with access to a 24-hour help line and other resources to increase their chances of carrying their babies full term, leading to healthier babies and lower costs for the state.
The new program, which began Monday, is part of an effort to reduce the need for expensive neonatal intensive care for premature Medicaid babies, which cost the state $446 million in 2009. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) also is providing additional resources to parents of babies born prematurely, and Medicaid stopped paying for elective inductions before 39 weeks in October. [Medicaid Premature Births]
June 28, 2012
HHSC Statement on Affordable Care Act Ruling
AUSTIN – Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs released the following statement after today’s Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act:
We’ll work closely with Gov. Perry, state leaders and the Attorney to fully analyze the ruling, but I’m pleased that it gives states more ability to push back against a forced expansion of Medicaid. The court clearly recognized that the Affordable Care Act put states in the no-win situation of losing all their Medicaid funding or expanding their programs knowing that they would face billions of dollars in extra costs down the road. [Supreme Court Ruling]
June 14, 2012
HHS Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs to Retire
Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs today notified the Governor of his intention to retire on Aug. 31. In his three years in the position, Suehs oversaw dramatic improvements in the handling of applications for benefits and obtained federal approval to transform Medicaid payments to hospitals.
“Thank you for the opportunity to serve our great state in a position that touches the lives of every Texan,” Suehs wrote in a letter to the Governor. “It has truly been an honor and a privilege.” [Commissioner Suehs Retire]
May 3, 2012
HHSC: Judge’s Order Puts Children at Risk
AUSTIN – A Travis County judge’s order voiding state law that requires a parent or responsible adult to accompany a child on Medicaid appointments will endanger children and create an environment rife for fraud, Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs said today. [TRO response]
April 25, 2012
State Law Requires Parent to Accompany Child to Medicaid Appointments
AUSTIN – The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) released the following statement about the state requirement that a parent or legal guardian accompany children for medical appointments:
This is not a new requirement. The Texas Legislature passed a law in 1999 that forbids Medicaid from paying for services provided to a child under the age of 15 unless a parent, legal guardian or other properly authorized adult accompanies the child. The law was passed to ensure the safety of young children and to address concerns over the potential for fraud and abuse of state services when a parent is not present to verify that services have been actually delivered. [Medicaid Appointments]
March 28, 2012
Pharmacy Project Brings Extra Care to Medicaid Patients
AUSTIN – Hundreds of Medicaid patients on multiple medications soon will be getting some special attention from their pharmacists to help them improve their health and reduce treatment costs for the state. [Pharmacy Project]
March 23, 2012
Texans Can Rely on Women's Health Program
AUSTIN – As head of the state’s lead health agency, I believe it’s important to cut through the scare tactics and misinformation campaigns about the Women’s Health Program. Despite what you may have read or heard, I can assure you – and the thousands of women who rely on the program – that the state will continue to provide these vital services even without the federal government’s help. [Women's Health Program]
January 18, 2012
New Medicaid Committees Named
AUSTIN – HHSC has selected members to serve on three new advisory committees created by the 2011 Texas Legislature. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Council, the Quality-Based Payment Advisory Committee and the Physician Payment Quality Committee will help improve Medicaid services and reform the payment system.” [New Committees]
December 12, 2011
Texas Gets Approval for Cost-Saving Medicaid Improvements
AUSTIN – Texas today received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for a waiver that allows the state to expand Medicaid managed care while preserving hospital funding, provides incentive payments for health care improvements and directs more funding to hospitals that serve large numbers of uninsured patients.
“This waiver will allow us to replace an archaic federal Medicaid funding system with one built around local solutions that rewards hospitals for patient care and innovation,” said Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs. “These reforms will allow us to ensure the best, most efficient use of Medicaid funding and improve services for Texans.”[Cost-Saving Medicaid Improvements]
October 11, 2011
State Warns of Scam Involving Medicaid Card
AUSTIN – The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is warning Texans with Medicaid coverage to be aware of a scam where a caller asks them to provide a bank account number and tries to sell them a replacement Medicaid card. [Scam Involving Medicaid Card]
September 23, 2011
Travis, Bastrop Fire Victims Can Use State Benefits to Buy Hot Foods
AUSTIN – SNAP recipients can use their benefits to purchase hot ready-to-eat foods in Travis and Bastrop counties through October. These items, which are not normally allowed under federal rules, will help families who are unable to return to their homes immediately due to fires. [Fire Victim Exceptions]
September 19, 2011
Special Food Benefits Available to Bastrop Fire Victims
AUSTIN – Bastrop County residents who lost income as a result of the fires may qualify for special food benefits this month.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) sought and received a federal waiver to make the disaster assistance available to individuals and families who lost income or incurred extra expenses as a result of the fires. [Bastrop Fire Food Benefits]
September 9, 2011
State Notifies People Whose Information Was on Stolen Laptop
AUSTIN – The state is notifying almost 1,700 people that a stolen laptop may have contained their names, birthdates and some health information. All the affected individuals will be provided with free credit monitoring services although there is no evidence that the information has been misused.
The laptop was stolen from the car of a nurse with the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The information was used to help conduct reviews of hospitals and nursing facilities that accept Medicaid. It included the names of 1,696 people, their birthdates, gender, Medicaid client identification numbers and procedure and diagnosis codes. The data did not include Social Security numbers. [Information on a Stolen Laptop]
September 7, 2011
State Opens Mobile Office to Help Fire Victims Replace SNAP Benefits
AUSTIN – The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is opening a mobile unit at Bastrop High School and sending state staff to shelters to help victims of the fire replace their food benefits.
A mobile unit is located at 1602 Hill St. in Bastrop to help people who lost food that had been purchased with SNAP food benefits (formerly called food stamps). The unit will be located near the old football field. Families may be eligible for replacement benefits for food that was destroyed by fire or electrical outages. [Fire Victim SNAP Benefits]
September 6, 2011
Baldwin Named Interim DFPS Commissioner
AUSTIN – Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs has asked Howard Baldwin to serve as interim commissioner for the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).
DFPS Commissioner Anne Heiligenstein is retiring Sept. 30. Baldwin, a lawyer with more than three decades of human services experience, will take over as interim commissioner Oct. 1. [Interim DFPS Commissioner]
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