Latest news with #TexasHealthandHumanServicesCommission
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas will begin a summer lunch program in 2027, but only if feds don't raise costs
A new food program that would give low income families $120 per child to help feed them during the summer months could be coming to Texas in 2027. Texas has never participated in the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT) program, created in 2023, an offshoot of a similar pandemic program. But tucked inside the state's $338 billion budget is a $60 million budget addition for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to administer such a program. States have to pay 50% of the administrative cost to participate in the Summer EBT program, a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that also goes by the name of Sun Bucks. That large investment could bring another $400 million in federal dollars to Texas. However, ongoing talks at the federal level about slashing food benefits could endanger Texas' participation in the Biden-era summer program. A provision built into the rider could cancel the appropriation if the current state-federal funding formula changes. 'If federal matching rates for the program or administration of the program are changed in a manner that result in a higher cost to Texas from the match rates in place on May 30, 2025, this appropriation is void,' the rider language states. Families would qualify for the summer meal benefits if their children, even if they are home-schooled or attend private schools, qualify for free or reduced priced lunches during the school year. In 2024, a family of four with an annual income of $40,560 or less would be eligible for free school lunch. To qualify for a reduced school meal, that same family would have to make $57,720 or less. For state Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston, bringing the Summer EBT program to Texas was personal. Today, he lives not far from where he grew up in northeast Houston. 'We were on food stamps growing up,' he said. 'I lived that experience of not having food.' While HHSC would design and manage the program, it would also work in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Department of Agriculture, which manages federal agriculture dollars that fund school lunches in Texas. 'TDA looks forward to continued collaboration with HHSC on their submission of a state plan, ' the agency said in a statement. The state's agriculture agency already works with schools, cities and community groups to offer lunches during the summer for school-age children. Those institutional partners submit expenses for the lunches they served and are reimbursed for cost by the federal government, according to Lena Wilson, assistant commissioner for food and nutrition at TDA. In 2024, there were 12 million summer meals (snacks and lunches) served to Texas children at 4,480 sites statewide at a cost of $46.1 million. This existing USDA's summer lunch program, which was piloted in 1968 and was made a full-fledged funding stream in 1975, does not require pre-registration or identification to access. The locations are selected primarily where children in need are located and is open to all children, even if they don't live in the specific neighborhood. 'It's great,' said Catherine Wright-Steele, TDA's commissioner of food and nutrition, because children can bring their younger siblings who aren't attending schools yet or say a young friend or cousin visiting from out of town. Some of the meals are prepared and served on site. At other locations, they can be more of a 'grab-and-go' sack lunch offering. 'So many children who live in poverty in Texas. These programs all supplement each other,' Walle said of adding another summer program. From an economic standpoint, bringing more federal dollars will put more customers in stores, he said. 'It's an economic benefit to the state of Texas,' Walle said. Walle, who said he has been working on Summer EBT for the past 18 months, also credited bipartisan support in the House and Senate, as well as Gov. Greg Abbott. For other food assistance groups, the inclusion of the rider has been welcome news. 'We're thrilled that state lawmakers included funding in the budget to administer Summer EBT,' said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, the state association of food banks. 'Summer EBT fills this gap, ensuring that Texas kids stay nourished and ready to learn. The program is particularly important for a state like Texas, where 1 in 6 households are food insecure.' Right now, Congress is considering slashing the budget of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, what many people still refer to as food stamps. As the rider currently reads, the Texas participation in Summer EBT could be in danger if the federal government forced states to pay more of the administrative cost or even a portion of the subsidy. There's been no word on whether the Summer EBT program could face cuts. For now, the state is moving to come up with a plan to submit to Washington. Disclosure: Feeding Texas has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer. Get tickets. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Sodas, candy to be banned from Texas food stamp purchases
For years, Texas lawmakers have tried to stop food stamp recipients from purchasing snack food. With support from the federal government, Texas' first step to root out unhealthy foods from the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, or SNAP, will become reality after Senate Bill 379 from state Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, made it through in the last week of the legislative session. It comes just four months after fellow Texan and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signaled to states that the agency would green light measures that prohibit SNAP recipients from using their subsidies to buy certain foods. The measure is likely to be signed quickly by Gov. Greg Abbott, who has already notified Rollins' office he wants a waiver from federal rules to keep junk food from SNAP purchases. Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska have filed similar legislation and have been granted waivers. But opponents of such measures say keeping unhealthy foods from only SNAP recipients — and not all Americans — ultimately penalizes poverty. 'On its face, it sounds fine, right? … Let's restrict soda. Sodas are bad for everyone,'' said Amber O'Connor, food policy analyst for Every Texan, a left-leaning nonprofit research group. 'Exactly. Sodas are bad for everyone. So, if we want to make Texas healthy again, let's talk about those ingredients.' Middleton's original bill covered a wide range of snacks including sweetened drinks, cookies, chips and candy. But lawmakers from both chambers negotiated it down to only sodas and candy. A banned sweetened drink is defined as "a nonalcoholic beverage made with water that contains five grams or more of added sugar or any amount of artificial sweeteners,' but excludes fruit juices and milk beverages. 'The USDA's stated purpose for the SNAP program is nutritious food essential to health and well being,' Middleton said when he presented the bill before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee in March. 'The bottom line is that taxpayer-funded junk food turns into taxpayer-funded health care.' Once signed, the measure can go into effect Sept. 1, but Texas Health and Human Services Commission and retailers are expected to bear the heavy lift to set up the state's Lone Star card system to reject such purchases. According to the latest data available, 3.5 million Texans received $616 million in SNAP benefits in April. The average Lone Star card user was allotted $378 in SNAP benefits. SNAP is fully funded by federal taxpayer dollars. States participating in the USDA program must pay 50% of the cost to administer the program's administrative costs. Last year, Texas taxpayers funded about $215 million of that cost, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. For months, Republicans in Washington have proposed dramatic cuts to SNAP. While nothing has been passed yet, one suggestion is that states pay for a larger portion of the food assistance program. That federal willingness to cut SNAP has unleashed several proposals from states to restrict what is purchased. More cuts to the SNAP program, whether they be restrictions on food stamps or changes in who can qualify, would increase demand on food banks, something many are bracing for right now. Federal food assistance programs have been around since the 1930s. The modern food assistance program most Americans still refer to as the food stamp program was created when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Food Stamp Act of 1964. Since then, it was renamed the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, or SNAP, and electronic debit cards replaced the old coupon-like food stamp booklets many Americans recall from the 1970s Historically, people have pushed back against regulating SNAP purchases because they say such policies discriminate against poor people. Eliminating more prepared food items, in particular, fails to take into consideration the limited access poorer Texans have to electricity, a refrigerator, stove and an oven, they say. 'Sometimes, there's a kid at home alone in a house that has no electricity,' O'Connor said. 'They have no experience cooking. Is it more important that they get calories to get through until tomorrow or is it more important that they spend their $6 allotment on a $3 bell pepper?' Most of the opposition to the original version of SB 379 was its vagueness, which could have made it harder on the 21,000 SNAP retailers statewide to police. Retailers who stand to profit off SNAP payments have typically opposed placing restrictions. Walmart, which registered as opposed to the bill, declined to comment to The Texas Tribune on Tuesday. Paring down the list of restricted foods under the bill will also help ease the transition for SNAP recipients, according to food banks, which help Texans sign up for the benefits. 'We're pleased to see that the scope of the bill has been narrowed and now closely aligns with the guidance outlined in Governor Abbott's letter,' said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, the state association of food banks. 'This clarity will ease implementation and reduce confusion for SNAP participants.' Disclosure: Every Texan and Feeding Texas have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
CBS News
02-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Texas Health and Human Services Commission warns of data breach, impacting tens of thousands
Texas Health and Human Services Commission is warning Texans about a recent data breach involving employees. In addition to the Texans impacted by the privacy breach first reported on Jan. 17, THHSC said the personal information of 33,529 other recipients of agency services may have been leaked. At least 94,000 total Texans have been impacted to date. Leaked data includes full names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, email addresses, Social Security numbers, Medicaid and Medicare identification numbers, financial, employment, banking, benefits, health, insurance, medical, certificate, license and other personal information. The breach happened between June 2021 and January 2025. THHSC said it terminated nine employees in connection to the incident and that it's pursuing criminal charges. As a result, THHSC said it is strengthening internal security controls and working to implement additional fraud prevention measures, including enhanced monitoring and alerts to detect suspicious activity. SNAP recipients are advised to check their Lone Star Card transactions for possible fraud activity and to report it to law enforcement. THHSC said the data that was accessed, used or disclosed is not the same for everyone. Two years of free credit monitoring and theft protection services is being offered to impacted Texans.
CBS News
01-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
1.8 million Texans could lose current health insurance provider if state lawmakers don't act
More than 125,000 North Texas families could soon lose their current health insurance provider if state lawmakers don't act. In March 2024, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced plans to drop the Cook Children's nonprofit Health Plan, along with Texas Children's and Driscoll Children's plans, and award Medicaid contracts to several national, for-profit insurance companies instead. CBS News Texas "Why would the state take contracts away from Texas-based companies and give them to national companies, where those profits and earnings are going to go outside the state of Texas?" said Karen Love, president of the Cook Children's Health Plan. "We need to keep those here in the state of Texas so that people like us can continue to make investments in the health of our community." Cook Children's is working with state lawmakers on bills that would reinstate the children's hospital plans across the state and make changes to the process moving forward. However, the clock is ticking with just four weeks left in this legislative session. "The legislature has made their will known in the past," Love said. "They just need to make their will known in this case." If lawmakers don't act, Cook Children's says 1.8 million children and pregnant women across Texas would be forced to change health insurance plans. That includes 125,000 North Texas children who are currently on the Cook Children's Health Plan. "I feel like removing this plan punishes families who already have to navigate a life that's hard," said Liz Pinon, whose children are on the Cook Children's Health Plan. "My kids would probably be okay, but there's so many kids out there that will not be okay. So many families that will get hurt for this." Pinon's triplets have been patients at Cook Children's Medical Center since they were babies, and all have complex medical needs. "My daughter is in a wheelchair," Pinon said. "My son has a feeding tube. They have mental health issues." She says juggling all their appointments and care has been easier since moving to the Cook Children's Health Plan about seven years ago. The pediatric healthcare system has managed Medicaid coverage for medically fragile children, low-income families, and pregnant women for more than 20 years. "The Cook Children's Health Plan has given us the tools so that my kids are not just surviving, they're thriving and living a healthy life," said Pinon. In the final weeks of the legislative session, she hopes lawmakers think about her family and the thousands of others who would be left scrambling if the Medicaid contracts go to out-of-state, for-profit corporations. "These are families who may be working two to three jobs to cover the rent and groceries and, you know, childcare and all of those things," Love said. "To have to worry about finding and picking a different plan, getting to know a new service coordinator, potentially having to change providers… That's just a level of disruption that's not necessary for these families when they have made their choice clear." If state lawmakers don't pass a legislative solution to address this, Cook Children's will continue its legal battle against the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The hospital won a temporary injunction against the agency last fall. A trial has been set for November.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Fired state employees breached the personal data of 33,529 more Texans
Texas Health and Human Services Commission late Wednesday began notifying another 33,529 recipients of state benefits that their private information had been improperly accessed. The latest announcement comes as the state agency continues to investigate a series of breaches by its own employees of its database for Medicaid, food stamp and other assistance programs. Three months ago, the state notified 61,104 Texans that their personal information may have been improperly accessed by state employees. At that time, seven state employees tied to the breach had been fired including two who stole from recipients food stamp cards. In February, the agency notified lawmakers that another two state employees had been fired, bringing to a total of nine state employees who had accessed individuals' accounts without a stated business reason. HHSC officials said Wednesday that these fired employees are now responsible for breaching the personal information of another 33,529 account holders who had either applied or received assistance between June 2021 and January 2025. It is not known how many of those account holders had their benefits compromised. The state agency recommends that affected individuals carefully review their accounts and health care provider, insurance company and financial institution statements to make sure their account activity is correct. Any questionable charges should be reported promptly to the provider or company and contact law enforcement. HHSC advises Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to check their Lone Star Card transactions for potential fraudulent activity at or through the Your Texas Benefits mobile app. Recipients who believe they may have been a victim of SNAP fraud should call 2-1-1, select a language, and choose option 3 to report the fraud to the Texas Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. They should also contact law enforcement to report the fraud and visit a local HHSC benefits office to have their benefits replaced. HHSC has determined full names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, email addresses, Social Security numbers, Medicaid and Medicare identification numbers, financial, employment, banking, benefits, health, insurance, medical, certificate, license and other personal information may have been inappropriately accessed. Recipients who want to know more can go to this link on the agency's website. The state agency is offering two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to those affected by the breach. They can also call 866-362-1773, toll-free and use the engagement number B139792. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
