Texas’ Legislative Session Begins
It has been a busy two weeks at the Texas State Capitol. On Tuesday, January 10th the legislature gaveled in at noon and two chambers full of families and friends celebrated the beginning of the 88th Legislative Session. I could not help but remember my very first session in 2005 when I walked into our state capitol for the very first time as a wide-eyed, 21-year-old intern. I could feel the magic as I stood in the rotunda and starred up at the beautiful dome. This marks my 10th regular session working in and around the capitol.
Last week Governor Abbott and Lt. Governor Patrick were sworn for their third four-year term in Texas. Their inaugural speeches were filled with optimism and promises of property tax cuts, a more reliable power grid, and education reform. But what was not said is that we have a health care cost crisis in Texas!
From the cost of prescription drugs to overpriced emergency room visits to employers unable to afford to offer benefits to their employees, Texans are feeling the burden of health care costs on their monthly budgets. In fact, in a survey conducted by Forbes in November 2022, 44% of Americans find a medical bill under $1000 to be unaffordable. Texans deserve real transparency, options when shopping for health benefit coverage, and the ability to grow their businesses while properly caring for their employees.
Here are just a few statistics that highlight Texas’ health care cost crisis:
Texas ranks 3rd highest in the nation for the most health care mandates, and it is Texas employers and families that get stuck paying for the cost of benefits they do not need. Texas legislators have already filed over 20 new health benefit mandates this session and the number is only going to grow!
Texas families and businesses are paying 40% more on prescription drugs than the rest of the nation. And, we are ranked #1 in prescription drug spending when compared to other states.
40% of Texans have stopped taking a needed medication or skipped doses of prescription medication because of cost. We should not have to choose between feeding our families and potentially life-saving medication.
243 of the 254 counties in the state are federally designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas. This means Texans in both rural and urban areas cannot access the health care provider they need for basic primary, dental and mental health care.
60% of Texas Employers offer “self-funded” health plans to their employees but those plans are now under attack. These plans regulated by federal law guarantee uniformity across state lines, so businesses who operate in more than just Texas are encouraged by a stable regulatory environment to offer health benefits for their employees. If Texas tries to regulate these plans, businesses may choose to no longer offer their Texas workforce healthcare benefits, further increasing the number of uninsured in our state.
The good news is that you have a voice in the state capitol. Your elected officials need to hear from you! Further, there are free-market minded solutions on the table like HB 1001 by State Representative Giovanni Capriglione that would give Texans an option to purchase a more affordable, mandate-lite health benefit plan. And, solutions that put patients front and center like SB 490 by Senator Bryan Hughes that requires health care providers to provide an itemized bill of charges at the patient’s request before they can send a medical debt to collections.
Thank you to those who have already reached out with their personal stories and struggles. We will be collecting these to share with elected officials throughout the legislative session. If Texas wants to continue to lead in business recruitment and creation, we must address our state’s health care crisis this session!
Sincerely,
Mia Garza McCord
Executive Director
Texans for Affordable Health Care
info@texansforaffordablehealthcare.com