Capital Highlights: Premiums rise as ACA open enrollment begins

The window for signing up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act is now open through Jan. 15, with most Texans expected to pay considerably higher premiums, The Texas Tribune reported. Federal subsidies that reduced premium rates will expire at year's end without congressional action.

The government shutdown is now entering its second month. Democrats say they will not vote to reopen the government unless the subsidies are extended. Republicans say they will not consider extending the subsidies until the government is reopened.

Nearly 4 million Texans signed up for ACA coverage during the last enrollment period, a number that health experts predict will drop by a much as one million if the subsidies end.

Most people who choose ACA are not able to obtain employer-sponsored insurance – the most common method – or they make too much money to qualify for Medicaid.

The nonprofit health policy group KFF projects Texans who now receive the ACA subsidies will see their premiums rise by 115%, or $456 a year, if they are not extended.

TDI offers tips on buying a health plan

With open enrollment underway at HealthCare.gov, the Texas Department of Insurance is offering tips to find a health plan that fits one's needs and budget. TDI notes new plans come out every year, so consider looking at other plans to make sure to get the best coverage for the price.

Other factors to consider:

You can access TDI's health plan shopping checklist at this address: https://tinyurl.com/384we9s7.

Paxton sues Tylenol company over autism claims

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the makers of Tylenol, accusing Johnson and Johnson of failing to warn women about the risk of taking acetaminophen while pregnant, claiming it is a possible cause of autism.

The Texas Standard reported the lawsuit is the first of its kind from a state government. It comes a few weeks after U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. discouraged pregnant women from taking the drug.

Paxton, who is running in the GOP primary against incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, said in a statement that "by holding Big Pharma accountable for poisoning our people, we will help Make America Healthy Again."

There are conflicting medical studies concerning the effects of acetaminophen on pregnant women. Dr. Brian Lee, a Drexel University epidemiologist who headed one of the largest studies, said that while more research is needed, "the needle is pointing strongly toward there being no causal effect of acetaminophen use during pregnancy on autism."

Poll: Most Texans oppose sending Texas soldiers to other states

A poll released last week shows most Texans oppose Gov. Greg Abbott's deployment of National Guard soldiers stationed in Texas to cities outside the state, the Houston Chronicle reported.

The University of Texas at Austin's Texas Politics Project found 51% oppose the deployment with 43% strongly opposed. Only 41% support the move, with 24% strongly supporting it.

Abbott last month agreed to send 200 Texas troops to Chicago at Trump's request. However, a judge blocked that deployment, and the troops remain stationed outside the city.

'Financial literacy' class now required in high school

Texas is now the 30th state to offer financial literacy classes, with a half-credit to be offered starting with the graduating class of 2029, according to The Dallas Morning News. The Texas Education Agency plans to send school districts a list of companies that will offer free curriculum.

John Pelletier, director of the Center for Financial Literacy in Vermont, says the extra classes address what he terms "financial fragility." He notes lack of proper money management is a key reason only half of Americans could come up with $2,000 in an emergency.

He added that the pandemic showed how unemployment levels could jump almost overnight, leaving people who have not saved or are in serious debt at greater risk of financial catastrophe.

Court: Texas judges not required to perform same-sex weddings

In a comment added to the state's judicial conduct code, the Texas Supreme Court said that Texas judges who decline to perform a wedding ceremony based on a "sincerely held religious belief" are not violating the state's rules on judicial impartiality, keranews.org reported.

This could have statewide implications for gay marriage and possibly factor in a federal lawsuit attempting to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage in 2015.

Texas Supreme Court clerk Blake Hawthorne said the court cannot comment on the rule change.

"The order speaks for itself, and the Court cannot comment on its connection to pending litigation," Hawthorne said.

Hundreds of 'zombie' wells found in single Texas county

Researchers at the University of Houston have identified more than 600 non-operating oil wells in Reeves County that are either actively leaking or are at high risk of doing so, the Chronicle reported.

Two related problems – uncapped orphan wells and plugged wells that leak – pose a serious threat to Texas groundwater, as oil, salty wastewater and other fluids can contaminate aquifers.

With hundreds of thousands of wells across Texas, the potential for leaking wells is high. The researchers hope to pair machine learning – a subfield of artificial intelligence – with satellite imagery, wastewater injection data, and wellbore data to identify which wells pose the highest risks.

The Texas Railroad Commission announced last month that the number of orphaned wells in Texas has increased by almost 1,400 wells this year, topping more than 10,000 for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress.com