Terri Langford, Texas Tribune

When the state's new fiscal year begins on Tuesday, Texas hospitals expect to lose $27 million a day in additional Medicaid funding.

The shortfall is the result of a decision by the Trump administration to withhold approval from Texas for about $9.8 billion in the next year from three programs, the bulk of which affects the Comprehensive Hospital Increase Reimbursement Program (CHIRP). This program gives hospitals additional funding to cover the difference between Medicaid rate payments and the actual costs that hospitals incur to provide services to Medicaid patients. Essentially, hospitals, which often are paid less than what they caspend on Medicaid patients due to outdated payment rates set by the state, are losing out on their additional reimbursement for 2027.

Local governmental entities collect taxes from hospitals — about $4 billion a year, according to the Texas Hospital Association — and under CHIRP, the federal government matches those funds so that Texas hospitals can then use them to cover the actual costs of providing Medicaid services. Hospitals say those CHIRP dollars are critical and if they lose that funding, they will likely have to cut services to patients....

After missing her chair and falling on the tile floor during a child’s birthday party last October, the 54-year-old Edinburg woman begged: “Don’t take me to the hospital.”

Her head was throbbing and sharp pain stretched down her back. The woman, an undocumented immigrant, told herself she'd have to brave through it. Immigration enforcement officials have detained two of her distant family members and deported another to Mexico, and she feared that going to a hospital would make her an easy next target.

“It’s not worth the risk,” said the mother of four, who would only speak on the condition of anonymity for fear of being deported. ...

Texas youth camps say cost of implementing new safety requirements will force them to close

By Stephen Simpson and Terri Langford, The Texas Tribune Oct. 10, 2025

"Texas youth camps say cost of implementing new safety requirements will force them to close" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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"Texas lawmakers failed to pass a bill to improve local disaster warning systems this year" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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"How RFK Jr., Democrats and Republicans found common ground over food labels in Texas" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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