Carrie Feibel, Houston Public Media

Politics Makes Abortion Training In Texas Difficult

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

The hostile climate surrounding abortion in Texas has made it hard for doctors-in-training to learn to do abortions. Professors feel intimidated, and there are fewer clinics where residents can train.

Can Doctors Learn To Perform Abortions Without Doing One?

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Accredited medical residency programs have to teach doctors how to perform abortions. But interpretation of the requirement varies, especially in a state like Texas where training options are scarce.

Mosquito Hunters Set Traps Across Houston, Search For Signs Of Zika

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Harris County, Texas, operates one of the largest mosquito control operations in the country, with more than 50 people who trap, freeze and test mosquitoes for threats such as Zika.

Pregnant Women In Houston And Their Doctors Weigh Risks Of Zika

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

The U.S. Gulf Coast has the right weather conditions and mosquitoes for the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects. But the level of risk is unknown in this country so doctors are advising caution to their patients who are pregnant or trying to have a baby.

Texas’ Changing Relationship To Obamacare

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

For the moment, Texas Republicans still consider the Affordable Care Act to be political kryptonite, but the story on the local level is different: many moderates want the money that would come with expanding Medicaid, the state-federal health care program for the poor.

Kids With Ebola? Texas Children’s Hospital Is Ready If It Happens In U.S.

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

One of the 55 hospitals nationwide that the CDC named as future “Ebola treatment centers†is Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. One year after the first confirmed case of Ebola in the U.S., the hospital is about to open a new eight-bed biocontainment wing — the only one of its kind for children in the country.

Supreme Court Reprieve Lets 10 Texas Abortion Clinics Stay Open For Now

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Abortion providers and foes react to the Supreme Court’s action that will allow 10 abortion clinics in Texas to remain open until a state law that would close them can be fully reviewed by the court.

Anti-Abortion Activists See Mixed Results In Texas Legislature

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Legislation tightening rules for minors seeking abortions passes in Texas and is expected to become law. Another bill favored by abortion opponents fails.

Texas Insurance Brokers Play Bigger Obamacare Role

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Despite an uneasy relationship with the health law, insurance brokers are touting their expertise and helping Texans sign up for Affordable Care Act insurance.

Appeals Court Hears Texas Abortion Case

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sharply questions both sides and focuses on the abortion clinics’ argument that the law would create a burden for women in El Paso and West Texas.

Network Blues: Big Bills Surprise Some E.R. Patients

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Even when using hospitals in their insurance network, people often find that the doctors are not covered and they are responsible for those charges.

Specialty Care Is A Challenge In Some ACA Plans

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

“Narrow networks” keep the price of some Obamacare insurance plans low, but they also keep certain hospitals and physicians out of reach for sick patients.

A Hot Sauce Accident Leads To Health Insurance

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Last December we profiled a Texas woman who was uninsured and undecided about whether to buy an insurance plan. But after a minor accident became a major problem, she decided to buy Obamacare insurance and is thrilled with it.