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The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is proposing cuts to the reimbursement rates for certain services — like ventilators and wheelchairs. Providers told a public hearing Monday the new rates could hurt medical supply companies and their patients.

The Senate voted late Sunday evening on a compromise that could reopen the government following the longest shutdown in history.

Texas' application for the Rural Health Transformation program requests $200 million every year of the five-year program. The state is proposing the "Rural Texas Strong" project, which includes a range of proposals to improve health care access and quality in rural areas — such as workforce development and utilizing AI.

A nonprofit advocacy and research organization launched a new research collaborative focused on addressing the high rate of preterm births. UT Southwestern in Dallas and UT Medical Branch in Galveston are part of the new Texas research collaborative. The Texas Collaborative marks the organization’s sixth Prematurity Research Center.

South College unveiled its new Dallas Campus on Wednesday in Farmers Branch. The college is focused on health care degree and training programs to address workforce shortages in the area. The campus includes several programs with specialized training labs and a dental clinic.

A shuttered Richardson preschool reimagined as a catch-all resource center has become reality in the historic Esperanza neighborhood.

Gig-based and freelance creatives in Dallas County can now enroll for $65 a month.

Last year, North Texas hospitals provided more than $7 billion in uncompensated care, like charity care or bad medical debt. One health leaders said if federal lawmakers don't extend a subsidy that makes federal health insurance marketplace coverage more affordable, hospitals statewide could be responsible for more than $1 billion in additional uncompensated care — which could lead to a loss of services or closures.

Open enrollment for the federal health insurance marketplace begins next month, even as federal lawmakers remain at a standstill over a push to extend the enhanced premium tax credits. Advocates warn uncertainty and confusion around policy changes could affect millions of Texans who depend on the Marketplace for coverage.

The FDA approved the first at-home cervical cancer screening in May. Texas is the eighth state to have access to the test as the company rolls the product out state-by-state.

Several major health agencies in Texas are under review by the state's sunset commission — including the Department of State Health Services and Health and Human Services Commission. Advocates said this cycle could have a significant impact on services and access moving forward.

As Texas develops its application for federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding, rural hospital leaders say stabilizing their facilities should be a top priority. "Without it, all the planning in the world will not matter because there will be no hospital left to transform," one said.