LATEST WORK
Consumer Groups Applaud Federal Rejection of Texas Effort to Delay Health Reform Consumer Protection
January 27, 2012
Federal officials today rejected the Texas Department of Insurance’s (TDI’s) request to delay full implementation of a new rule that requires insurers to increase the value of health insurance or provide rebates to policyholders.
Texas Jobs Snapshot for December: Strong Job Growth, Unemployment Down
January 26, 2012
Texas’ showed strong job growth in December 2011 as the unemployment rate dropped to 7.8 percent down from 8.1 percent in November.
Essential Health Benefits in Texas
January 25, 2012
On December 16, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a bulletin describing its proposed approach to defining the “essential health benefits” under the Affordable Care Act (ACA, commonly referred to as national health reform). Starting in 2014, the essential health benefits (EHB) will serve as a floor for the package of health care services that must be covered in many health insurance policies. The ACA establishes some parameters for EHB, but HHS’ recent bulletin leaves it up to the states to define EHB within the federal framework. HHS is accepting public comment on its EHB approach through January 31, 2012, via EssentialHealthBenefits@cms.hhs.gov. This Policy Page explains EHB, reviews Texas’ options, and discusses what we still do not know about minimum standards for coverage in 2014.
Year in Review: 2011 Annual Report
January 24, 2012
2011 was a big year, with a fierce battle at the Capitol for Texas children and famillies, numerous honors and awards, the release of our Better Texas Film, and our 25th Anniversary Legacy Luncheon, where we announced we will be expanding to a new space on North Lamar.
City of Austin Triples OpportunityTexas Tax-Time Savings Project
January 18, 2012
OpportunityTexas, a joint project of CPPP and RAISE Texas working to expand economic opportunity through education and asset building, is entering its second year of promoting savings at community tax centers by providing incentives for low-income filers to save a portion of their tax refunds.
Texas Health Care 2011: What Has Happened and the Work that Remains
December 24, 2011
Texas Health Care 2011 (PDF)
Providing affordable, quality health care for all is a tough challenge for our state and nation. Health care costs are growing far faster than general inflation, and despite spending that exceeds all other industrialized nations, nearly 50 million Americans, and one in four Texans, lacks health care coverage. Both privately insured Texans and those covered by Medicaid and CHIP (mostly children, seniors, and Texans with disabilities) face shortages of doctors and other health care providers. These challenges are not limited to Texas or to Medicaid; they cut across all of our health care system.
Undermining the Texas Economy: The 2012-13 Texas State Budget
December 19, 2011
This report analyzes our state’s new budget, focusing on areas that are especially important to low- and moderate-income Texans. The report looks at both “General Revenue” spending (revenue that is primarily from state taxes) and “All Funds” spending (which also includes federal revenue, general revenue that is statutorily dedicated to a specific program, and “Other” legally earmarked revenue such as State Highway or Property Tax Relief funds).
Statement: McCown Rates PolitiFact PANTS ON FIRE for UI Column
December 19, 2011
Center for Public Policy Priorities Executive Director F. Scott McCown made the following comments on the Austin American Statesman’s PolitiFact:
“In a post on December 15, and again in today’s newspaper, the Austin American Statesman’s PolitiFact labeled ‘Mostly False’ a point made by U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett that is supported by mainstream economists, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. To that we say, PANTS ON FIRE.To view a complete listing of all of our work by date, click here.