May 5, 2025      10:17 PM

With other legislation on the issue flailing, Sen. Kolkhorst now expected to file a Hail Mary bill for children's hospital health plans to compete under Medicaid contract

"The children's hospital plans want to be everywhere." The President of Cook Children's health plan went on record saying a late bill filing from Sen. Kolkhorst is coming. Sources tell QR that Chair Kolkhorst will do it as soon as Tuesday

With the blessing of – or, at the urging of – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee Chair Lois Kolkhorst is expected to move to suspend all the rules for a late filing of a bill aimed at helping children's hospital health plans compete with national companies under the state's $116 billion Medicaid contract. That’s after Cook Children’s hospital sued last year to stop the Health and Human Services Commission’s decision to drop the legacy children’s hospitals from the procurement process.

Sources tell Quorum Report tonight that the move by Sen. Kolkhorst is likely to come as soon as tomorrow so that it can be heard in HHS Wednesday.

Bills by Chairman Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, and Chairman James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, addressing this have stalled out completely.

Copyright May 05, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved