December 15 Is The Deadline For Texans To Enroll In ACA Health Plans

Our daily roundup of Texas headlines.

By Becky FogelDecember 15, 2017 1:28 pm

The Standard’s news roundup gives you a quick hit of interesting, sometimes irreverent, and breaking news stories from all over the state.

December 15 is the deadline for Texans to enroll in subsidized health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The Trump administration cut the enrollment period in half this year to 45 days. Lori Lodes is co-founder of Get America Covered, a non-profit group that helps people enroll.

“Eight out of 10 people will be able to get monthly tax credits that lower their health care premiums. In Texas, the tax credits have increased,” says Lodes.

Texas has the highest percentage of people without insurance, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. More than 16 percent lack coverage.




A new survey shows black adults in Texas have a lot of concerns about health – including reproductive health. The poll is part of a broader effort from the organization: In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda.

Members of that group joined one of their partner organizations in Dallas on Thursday to present the survey results. KERA’s Stella Chavez filed this report.

“The Texas survey found that 76 percent believe women should have the right to make their own decisions on whether to have an abortion. And nine out of 10 said birth control is a basic part of women’s health care coverage,” says Marsha Jones, the executive director of The Afiya Center, a Dallas group focused on reproductive rights.

“The people who are the most marginalized – they don’t think that their voices matter. They don’t think that there’s any value in how they feel about issues that’s impacting them the most,” Jones says. “And so I think seeing this data, that people are going to see themselves in that and they can say somebody heard me.”

Jones says it’s important for black women get involved in the political process by running for office or educating people on health care issues.




One of the top lawyers in the Office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton resigned Thursday after mocking the #MeToo movement. That’s after The Dallas Morning News reported Associate Deputy Attorney General Andrew Leonie wrote a Facebook post calling women’s allegations of sexual misconduct “pathetic.”

A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office says the views Leonie expressed on social media do not reflect their values.




Magazine Marie Claire named its 20 best rap songs of 2017 this week.

Of course, stars like Cardi B made the list with “Bodak Yellow.”

But an Austin hip hop group – Magna Carda – also got recognized for their song “Joccin.” It was ranked #12 on the list.