Health

Everyone, it seems, has something good to say about plans for the city’s new jail diversion center. District Attorney John Creuzot called it a “solution” to the city’s continued criminalization of homelessness and mental illness. “Ditto,” said Lynn Richardson, chief of the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office, which represents many…

Nearly a fifth of the nation’s youngest uninsured children live in Texas, a stark reminder that the state has some of the most restrictive policies in the nation governing healthcare benefits for its most vulnerable residents. More than 8% of Texan children under the age of 6 are not insured, according…

Dallas’ jails and emergency rooms are overwhelmed by mental health crises. These institutions of last resort have become the only option for many “high utilizers,” people who return time after time in need of medication or counseling. It’s not their fault, explains Jessica Martinez, the chief clinical officer at a…

Food is medicine, the adage goes, acknowledging that you can’t address many health problems without tackling the underlying issues of poverty and food insecurity. A new Dallas initiative is about to take a stab at doing exactly that, thanks to a $250,000 grant and a resource-sharing agreement between some of…

Over the last three years, the federal government has gutted an Obamacare program designed to increase health insurance enrollment. Dallas has been hit hard: millions of dollars that had been used to help low-income households has disappeared, contributing to its status as one of least insured regions in the country…

If you happen to follow any of Texas’ Republican leadership on Twitter — and God bless you if you do — you’ve likely encountered the state GOP’s latest cause célèbre: a child-custody dispute in Dallas County between a mom who says that one of her two 7-year-old twins is a trans…

On Saturday, a federal judge issued a temporary order blocking the Trump administration’s proposed new requirement that all immigrants entering the country must show proof of medical insurance in order to be granted entry.

Texas has the highest rate of uninsured children in the nation and it has been getting worse at an alarming rate, according to a new report released Wednesday. Researchers at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute analyzed 2018 census data and found that the percentage of children with no healthcare coverage…

Hormone-based birth control has a much more nuanced and wide-spread effect on women’s brains than we commonly think, according to a new book written by Texas Christian University Research Psychologist Sarah E. Hill.

Three federal judges have issued nation-wide preliminary injunctions that block a new rule targeting low-income immigrants, that was set to go into effect today. Advocates say that the temporary block on the rule is a huge relief.

Immigrants are hastily dropping public benefits in response to a federal rule change put forth by President Donald Trump, but many of them don’t need to, advocates say. The fear, misinformation and rumors have lead to people needlessly giving up food stamps and healthcare assistance. The new guidelines stipulate that the use of assistance like Medicaid and food stamps and the likely hood that an applicant will use them in the future be weighed when deciding if an applicant should be approved for a green card.

Last week, the comment period for changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) closed. Members of the public had 60 days to express their opinions about the federal government’s proposed changes, which if implemented could take away benefits from as many as three million U.S. residents, including 300,000 in Texas, many of whom are already vulnerable to food insecurity.

Yesterday, a Senate special committee held its first meeting to discuss gun violence and prevention and address the eight executive orders issued by Governor Greg Abbott. Discussion centered around mental health, social media, shooters who self-radicalize online; many panel members repeated concerns about impinging on second amendment rights and due process of the law.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area has the lowest rate of children’s health insurance coverage among the 25 largest metro areas in the United States, according to new census data released Thursday. Across the area, 11.7% of children are uninsured, continuing a multiyear slide that reflects statewide trends. Adults in Dallas and…

DeSoto will become the first North Texas city to offer paid family leave to all city employees, beginning next month. Candice Quarles, the DeSoto City Council member who spearheaded the law, is a mother herself and saw an opportunity to use her 12 years of human resources experience to help…

Texans of color are saddled with medical debt at disproportionately high rates. One big reason: They lack insurance. It’s a problem that’s particularly bad here in Dallas. That’s the conclusion of a new report released Wednesday by the Center for Public Policy Priorities, a left-leaning think tank. It found that…

Dallas County, at least to the extent that its county commissioners have a say, is ready to do something about e-cigarette and vape use. They made that much clear at their twice-monthly meeting Tuesday, whether anyone is sure about what’s causing the illnesses likely tied to the practice or not…

For a second consecutive year, more people in Texas were without health insurance in 2018 than any other state, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures released Tuesday. Texas leads the nation in uninsured residents, both in terms of raw numbers and as a percentage of the population, according to the…

As many as 14 Dallas County residents have come down with “severe pulmonary disease” related to their use of e-cigarette or vape products, according to Dallas County Health and Human Services. Five of those reported to the county by local hospitals have required intubation and been placed on ventilators. Two…

Postpartum depression — more properly known as perinatal mood and anxiety disorder — affects one in seven new mothers. And yet not many parents or doctors know how to recognize symptoms or treat it. A new Texas law, which takes effect on September 1, will put in place some steps to make treatment easier.

Come Sunday, September 1, it will no longer be legal to buy cigarettes, electronic cigarettes or tobacco products in Texas, if you are under the age of 21.