Dukes addressing health insurance gaps

Lawmaker also targeting teen violence, higher education, children's insurance

By Laylan Copelin
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, January 23, 2007

By Laylan Copelin

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Rep. Dawnna Dukes knows first hand that having health insurance doesn't prevent unexpected medical bills.

When the Austin Democrat was taken to a local hospital by ambulance for X-rays following a fender-bender three years ago, she was surprised that all of her bills weren't covered. The hospital was part of her health care network. So was the physician, but not the radiologist who billed her.

Too often, Dukes said, Texans lucky enough to have health insurance are surprised when hospital doctors and staff aren't always participants in the same health insurance network. Dukes said she will tackle the issue this legislative session although she's still working out the details.

"We have to try to get doctors and insurance groups to negotiate in good faith to prevent out-of-network providers," Dukes said.

On other issues, Dukes will focus on issues ranging from education to teen dating violence to the state's performance on children health insurance.

A lawmaker since 1995, Dukes already was on the appropriations committee, a crucial panel to the state capital because it oversees state spending. Dukes' support for the re-election of Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, over two GOP opponents, should improve her ability to affect legislation in a House controlled by Republicans.

She said she will continue to oppose school vouchers, a pilot project championed by Craddick and a wealthy GOP donor, James Leininger of San Antonio.

She said she also expects the University of Texas at Austin, among others, to try and reverse a law that requires admission of the top 10 percent of the state's high-school graduating classes.

UT officials complain that the law restricts the university's admissions program. Parents in very competitive public schools say it also keeps too many good students out of flagship universities.

Dukes defends the law as guaranteeing admission to a wide range of students, especially minorities, coming from poorly-funded school districts.

She said she will file legislation requiring school districts to be informed when a registered sex offender is enrolling. She also wants to expand a pilot project at Reagan High School on teen dating violence.

Dukes will be working to ensure that Austin Independent School District isn't penalized in school funding formulas because it is one of the few districts that pays Social Security taxes for its teachers.

She said she also plans to review the state's private contract for administering children's health insurance program and revisit tougher enrollment guidelines enacted by the Legislature.

"A large number of children are falling off the rolls," Dukes said.

lcopelin@statesman.com