Texas scrambles to find money for approved health care projects

In Texas, revenue woes are hampering a series of health care experiments, including ones for its poor and uninsured. Federal approval for the projects came in May. In California, lawmakers get set to add some dental coverage for the state's poorest residents.

The Texas Tribune: Lack Of Revenue Limits Experimental Health Projects
Texas received federal approval in May to begin more than 1,100 experimental projects that could transform the way health care is delivered to the state's poor and uninsured. But there is a catch: To receive billions of dollars in federal financing, health care providers across 20 Texas regions must start the projects using local financing and meet some performance benchmarks (Aaronson, 6/14).

The Texas Tribune: Interactive: Financing Health Care Transformation Across Texas
This interactive shows the regional distribution of $3.2 billion for projects the federal government approved in May and the percent of each region that is uninsured. Underneath the map is a detailed description of the approved projects from the Health and Human Services Commission (Aaronson, 6/14).

California Healthline: Medi-Cal Dental Coverage Partially Restored
Legislative leaders and Gov. Jerry Brown (D) agreed on a budget plan this week that restores partial funding for dental services in Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program. … Although not the complete restoration of $131 million sought, the state plans to spend about $16.9 million this fiscal year and $77 million next year on dental coverage. The money will provide preventive care, dental restorations and full dentures for adult beneficiaries of Medi-Cal (Edlin, 6/13).

But in North Carolina --

North Carolina Health News: Health Issues Absent From House Budget Debate
The House tentatively approved its biennial budget Wednesday afternoon after a marathon session. But health and human services were hardly mentioned throughout the seven-hour debate (Hoban, 6/13).