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TWHC Legislative Update

Kristen Lenau, MPH

https://www.texaswhc.org

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Texas Women’s Healthcare Coalition

The Coalition is a membership based group of 88 healthcare, faith and community based organizations that are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Texas women, babies, and families by ensuring access to preventive healthcare for all Texas women. Access to preventive, prenatal and preconception care – including contraception – means healthy, planned pregnancies and the early detection of cancers and other treatable conditions.

2023

https://www.texaswhc.org

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Legislative Priorities

Set by membership

  • Non- Funding Priorities
  • Funding Priorities
  • Additional bills to highlight

https://www.texaswhc.org

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SB807/HB916

Empowering Texas Women & Supporting Healthy Families

  • Amends the Insurance Code to allow anyone with a birth control prescription to obtain up to a 12 month supply once per year, with a 3 month initial supply, rather than having to return to the pharmacy every month.
  • Reduces the number of visits a woman has to make as this is a hardship for many women in rural communities
  • Reduces the likelihood of missed pills, which negates the effects of this medication
  • Has been filed in past 2 sessions and is shown to save both the state and private companies money by preventing unintended labor & delivery costs
  • Gives women more tools to manage their health

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https://www.texaswhc.org

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HB141

Adding Contraception as a covered benefit in CHIP, Preventing Teen Pregnancy�

  • Texas is one of just two states that does not fully cover for birth control in CHIP. 
  • Among teens covered by CHIP in Fiscal Year 2018, about 1,600 experienced a pregnancy by the following year. 
  • Adding birth control to CHIP would lead to significant cost savings due to averting unintended teen pregnancies. 

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https://www.texaswhc.org

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HB12: Extending Medicaid for Postpartum Women

Thousands of Texas women are about to roll off of Medicaid and we are supporting a full 12 months of coverage for new moms.

2023

  • Over one-fourth of maternal deaths in Texas occur between 43 days and one year after pregnancy.
  • This step continues to be the top recommendation of Texas’ MMMRC.
  • 12-month postpartum coverage has now been implemented by most states including Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and South Carolina,
  • Too often, women must rely on hospital emergency rooms for care that could have been prevented — or treated earlier and more cost-efficiently — by a doctor or clinic.

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https://www.texaswhc.org

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TWHC Funding Priorities

We advocate for the Healthy Texas Women, Family Planning and Breast & Cervical Cancer Programs

  • These limited benefit programs are run through the Health and Human Services Commission
  • They serve over 300,000 Texans every year and we anticipate an influx this Spring/Summer
  • We have enormous healthcare deserts in Texas, and we hope to stabilize, fund caseloads and eventually grow these programs to begin addressing these gaps.
  • These programs provide birth control, chronic disease testing and treatment, and limited postpartum care for people who are uninsured and could not otherwise afford them.

https://www.texaswhc.org

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Additional bills/Issues

TWHC is tracking other priorities to address maternal mortality, improving women’s health programs, and increasing data transparency.

  • HB 214- Women’s Health Advisory Committee
  • HB 663- Data collection study on Maternal Mortality
  • HB1665/1664/852/1847- Relating to MMMRC Composition, study and reimbursements
  • SB307/HB70/HB199- Removing the Pink Tax
  • HB465- A pilot program for Medicaid coverage of doulas

2023

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Thank you!

What questions do you have?

2023

https://www.texaswhc.org