Health Care Experts Weigh In On Senate GOP Bill: Thursday’s Show (June 29, 2017)

Facing defections from within their own party, Republican leaders in the US Senate decided on Tuesday (June 27, 2017) to delay a vote on their health care bill until after the July 4 recess. While that gives senators more time to weigh their decisions on the bill, it also gives us more time to discuss what the bill might do – and how that might affect Houstonians.

Representatives from different areas of the health care industry in Houston join us to talk about what they’ve seen in the bill, what they like, what they don’t like, and what concerns them. We’re joined by Bonnie Sheeran, an independent patient advocate for Houston Health Advocacy, Dr. Arthur Garson with the Texas Medical Center Health Policy Institute, and Garrin Raymond with the Houston Association of Health Underwriters.

Also this hour, starting Sept. 1, no one under the age of 16 will be able to get married in Texas, and those ages 16 and 17 would only be able to marry with a judge’s approval. On that note, we revisit a conversation we had with a daughter who recalls how her mother was forced to marry at age 14.

Plus, we talk with Dr. Robert Ivany who is leaving his post as the president of the University of St. Thomas after 13 years. And we learn about the Houston Symphony’s Star-Spangled Salute.

Houston Matters offers a free daily, downloadable podcast here, on iTunes, Stitcher and various other podcasting apps.