One month after she was put on paid administrative leave, Erica Stick has resigned as chief of staff at the Health and Human Services Commission. In December, Stick — the wife of embattled former commission chief counsel Jack Stick — … Read More
Today, Sen. John Whitmire sent a letter to HHSC Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek suggesting he resign immediately for “the best interest of the State of Texas.” “Enough is enough” The Austin American Statesman quoted Whitmire as telling them, “Enough is enough. I … Read More
Veteran state Sen. John Whitmire has called for the resignation of Kyle Janek, the top official at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which is now at the center of state and federal investigations for its multimillion-dollar, no-bid deals … Read More
Controversial no-bid contracts that resulted in a firing, a resignation, and an apparent criminal investigation into the Texas Health and Human Services Commission have spurred further inquiry from both the governor’s office and the agency’s executive commissioner. Gov.-elect Greg Abbott … Read More
AUSTIN – The director of Texas’ massive state health agency personally pushed lawmakers to approve a $90 million extension of a major contract even after news reports showed the initial deal was awarded without competition and potentially subject to conflicts … Read More
Gov.-elect Greg Abbott will deploy an independent “strike force” to delve into the state’s beleaguered health agency, whose contracting with an Austin tech company is already the subject of a criminal investigation and inquiry by the state auditor. “In the … Read More
Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek today announced that he’s assembling a team of experts to help strengthen oversight and monitoring of contracts. “The primary way we deliver services across our agencies is through contracts, and it … Read More
In an era when Texas government is supposed to be efficient, cost-effective and mindful of taxpayer dollars, a miracle to be emulated by other states thanks to the Perry administration, the media continues to uncover incredible betrayals of public trust … Read More
AUSTIN, TEXAS A top deputy at Texas’ massive state health agency received the job without any competition and then was granted nearly $100,000 to pay for his graduate school tuition, according to state records. Casey Haney, a former aide to … Read More
In violation of its own policy, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission paid $97,020 so a top aide to Commissioner Kyle Janek — and former aide to ousted chief counsel Jack Stick — could pursue an MBA degree, The … Read More
AUSTIN – A well-connected former political aide landed a lucrative job at Texas’ sprawling state health commission without having to apply, and then got his boss to give him a lump sum of nearly $100,000 in taxpayer dollars to fund … Read More
A no-bid state contract for $110 million, state officials being shown the door and the agency’s top official insisting he was misled. It all points to a need for more strenuous oversight at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. … Read More
AUSTIN — Serious conflict of interest and oversight problems plagued a massive telecommunications deal between AT&T and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, state auditors said Tuesday, fanning the flames of a scandal over another large contract. Unlike that … Read More
While Texas is in drought, the bad news floodgates have opened even wider at HHSC with a further state report about inept and costly contract mismanagment. This time with AT&T. Ballooned from $1 million to $110 million Today, the Dallas Morning News jumped … Read More
In recent weeks, media outlets have shone a spotlight on the state’s procurement of technology to fight Medicaid fraud, highlighting the need to improve the system. 21CT, an Austin-based IT company with patented fraud-fighting technology, has become embroiled in questions … Read More
*Editor’s note: This story has been updated throughout. Texas Health and Human Services Commission chief Kyle Janek said Tuesday he was misled in briefings on a no-bid, $110 million deal handed to an Austin company for unproven software to detect Medicaid … Read More
State health officials circumvented two separate contract oversight boards when they brokered a $110 million no-bid deal with an Austin tech company — a transaction which is now the subject of a criminal investigation and much public scrutiny after two … Read More
While he was brokering a multimillion-dollar state contract for Austin technology company 21CT, then-state health official Jack Stick was promoting 21CT’s software to other states, assisting the company’s growth plans and seemed poised to take an executive position with the … Read More
It is now official – Jack Stick, HHSC Chief Counsel and former OIG deputy inspector general for enforcement, has resigned from HHSC over published allegations of interference in the HHSC contracting process on two contracts – one for data mining software … Read More
The top lawyer for the state’s sprawling health agency has resigned amid questions raised by an American-Statesman investigation into his relationship with an Austin technology company to which he was steering $110 million in contracts. Jack Stick, chief counsel for … Read More
The top lawyer at the Texas state agency overseeing all health and human services has resigned following concerns about a $110 million no-bid contract. Jack Stick, the general counsel at the Health and Human Services Commission, offered his resignation after … Read More
Jack Stick, the top lawyer for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, is resigning his post amid a crumbling state contract with data warehouse 21CT. The commission’s Office of Inspector General, or OIG, has been under scrutiny for the … Read More
The Statesman reports today that HHSC’s chief counsel Jack Stick, former OIG director for enforcement, who steered business to an Austin software firm for OIG Medicaid fraud detection data mining software, has for years had close connections to the firm’s … Read More
The Houston Chronicle has reported that as a result of the Sunset Commission’s scathing report on the Health and Human Services Commission Office of Inspector General, HHSC Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek is appointing a special assistant to review OIG procedures … Read More
AUSTIN – The top health official in Texas has decided to appoint a special assistant to review the state’s Medicaid anti-fraud program after an audit found it is so poorly run that it may be better for taxpayers if it … Read More
The state is suing Xerox for a second time, afraid the company’s recent actions in withholding a large number of documents relating to its tenure as the state’s primary Medicaid claims administrator will lead to millions of dollars of federal … Read More
The Texas Tech University System Board of Regents officially named state Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, the sole finalist to be the system’s next chancellor in a press release issued Monday afternoon. Duncan is expected to start in his new position … Read More
The Big Conversation If the University of Texas System regents tap Gov. Rick Perry favorite Kyle Janek as their next chancellor, they won’t get pushback from the president of the system’s flagship campus. “I’ve known Kyle for a long … Read More
Gov. Rick Perry is encouraging University of Texas System regents to consider Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek for the open job of chancellor, sources said Tuesday. Francisco Cigarroa, the current UT System chancellor, last week announced his … Read More
Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings judges, the Honorable Howard Seitzman and the Honorable Catherine Egan, provided their final Proposal for Decision in the case of Houston’s Antoine Dental Center to HHSC Excecutive Director Dr. Kyle Janek on Thursday. Antoine … Read More
Here is the final judge’s order directing the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s Executive Commissioner Dr. Kyle Janek and Inspector General Doug Wilson to return $1,255,195.20 to Harlingen Family Dentistry. The order can be downloaded here. AMENDED FINAL JUDGMENT … Read More
Ever wonder why Medicaid and Medicare rates are so low or why there was a Frew lawsuit? What about the future for reimbursement rates for Medicaid or Medicare health care providers in Texas? No need to wonder. Here’s your answer. … Read More
On August 27, I talked with U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, and Kyle Janek, executive commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services, about where the state goes next on health care. To see the video interview, follow … Read More
