Health

Shanice Jordan is one of the four million Texans enrolled in an Affordable Care Act health plan. But subsidies that make plans through the federal health insurance marketplace more affordable are set to expire at the end of the year — meaning Jordan and other Texans will premiums that are more than double what they currently pay.

With reports of bird flu in Lubbock, our Bishop Van Buren reports on a warning from the City of Lubbock asking residents to avoid handling sick or dead birds. Those who find sick or dead birds to report them to Lubbock Animal Service by calling 806-775-2057. Tonight at 6 P.M. is the deadline for candidates to file to run in Texas’ March 2026 primary elections. And after the Supreme Court ruled the state can use its 2025 redistricting map for the congressional midterms, Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider reports Democrats are frustrated but hopeful.

The death from bird flu of a person in Washington is a reminder that avian flu is circulating widely during flu season, increasing the potential for the emergence of a bird flu strain that can spread easily between humans.

Texas lawmakers passed the bill, referred to as the "Women's Privacy Act" by supporters, earlier this year. It requires a person in publicly owned buildings to use restrooms, locker rooms, and similar facilities associated with the gender on their birth certificate. Enforcement of the controversial new law begins this Thursday.

The study looks at abortions received by Texans both in state and out-of-state in the months after Senate Bill 8, a roughly six-week abortion ban, became law in 2021.

The newly passed federal ban on hemp-based products containing THC, set to go into effect in Nov. 2026, could have a significant negative effect on the Texas economy.Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider says the ban could hit a wide range of Texas industries. Tomorrow is National Memory Screening Day and Texas Tech’s Garrison Institute on Aging is joining the effort. Our Bishop Van Buren reports the GIA will be offering free screenings at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center’s Academic Event Center tomorrow at 2 p.m., followed by a lecture by Texas Tech psychology professor Dr. Gayle Ayers from 3 to 4 p.m.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is proposing cuts to the reimbursement rates for certain services — like ventilators and wheelchairs. Providers told a public hearing Monday the new rates could hurt medical supply companies and their patients.

The Veterans Food Bank of Lubbock is set to open next month and organizers are calling on the community to contribute to its first food drive through Dec. 16. More information at the nonprofit's Facebook page. Our Samantha Larned reports now is an ideal time for folks to get their flu shots to reach peak immunity in time for Thanksgiving, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Meanwhile, after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to fully fund SNAP, some Texans have started receiving partial payments.

Lubbock City Council gave the final vote to repeal an updated ordinance that would’ve required permits, fees, and fines for electronic police alarms. For those who paid an updated permit fee in that time, the Lubbock Police Department is issuing a refund. Those who have not received their refunds by Nov. 18 are asked to call Alarm Permitting at (806) 775-3041. Just over 12% of registered voters in Lubbock county turned out for this year’s statewide election. That’s more than double the percentage of Lubbock county’s last constitutional amendment election with no local items on the ballot more than a decade ago. Our reporter Bishop Van Buren breaks down two of the 17 constitutional amendments that stand out as particularly significant for West Texas.

The constitutional amendment comes before voters at a time when Texas' population of older adults is growing faster than any other age group.