Three years ago, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan unveiled a set of bills that he declared would improve the health of millions of Texans, largely by expanding access to healthcare.
The measures, authored by Republicans and Democrats, were applauded by health advocates such as the Texas Medical Association. This month, an updated version of one of the most noteworthy bills took effect, extending postpartum Medicaid coverage for new mothers from two months after giving birth to a year.
The reforms—most of which passed—fell short of full Medicaid expansion, but they cast the newly elected House speaker in a milder light: a conservative Texas GOP leader willing at times to prioritize the state’s serious healthcare gaps.
