We Were There — and So Were You

There's been a lot happening at the Capitol, and we want to make sure you're in the loop.

On May 27, I testified before the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, chaired by Senator Lois Kolkhorst, during an interim hearing on rising healthcare and insurance costs. My job was to make sure the committee heard from the people actually living with these costs, namely small business owners, families, and working Texans.

Here's what we put on the table

Outpatient facility fees have been quietly adding hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars to patients' bills, often without any warning. We talked about that, and we shared research showing that 20 other states have already moved to address it. We even followed up with a formal memo to Chairwoman Kolkhorst's office laying out exactly what those states have done, so the committee has concrete examples of state policies that curb or eliminate facility fees, which it can use to evaluate potential applications in Texas.

We also made the case for solutions that put power back in the hands of consumers — things like Health Savings Accounts, price transparency, and flexible plan options. And we raised a concern we hear from small business owners all the time: that coverage mandates, however well-intentioned, have real costs that get passed right along to employees and families.

The committee is still gathering input as it builds toward the 90th Legislative Session. We'll keep showing up and making sure your voice is in the room.

If you ever have something you want us to carry to the Capitol — a story, a concern, a question — please reach out. That's what we're here for.