Alec Mendoza

Alec Mendoza

Policy Advisor, Health and Economic Mobility

In his policy advisor role, Alec supports the development and execution of Texas 2036's healthcare policy strategy, driving efforts that foster market reforms and ensure Texans have access to high-quality, affordable care.

Posts

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Budget Guidance Opens the Door for ERS on Healthcare Prices

July 22, 2026

Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Speaker Dustin Burrows issued joint instructions to state agencies preparing Legislative Appropriations Requests for the 2028–29 biennium. The directive was clear: as the starting point for budget deliberations, each agency must reduce its base appropriation request by 3%. For most agencies, meeting that target will…

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Tackling healthcare consolidation through ownership transparency

June 17, 2026

When a Texan walks into a doctor’s office, they expect their care to be guided by their health needs, not by corporate ownership structures they can’t see. As hospital systems grow through mergers and acquisitions, ownership structures become harder to track, referral incentives become harder to detect, and consolidation becomes harder to address. When a…

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The Texas Legislature is ready to address healthcare affordability

April 27, 2026

In March, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, created a new House Select Committee on Health Care Affordability, and gave it the task of examining factors affecting healthcare affordability in Texas. This bipartisan committee, led by Chair James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, and Vice Chair Toni Rose, D-Dallas, will focus this legislative interim on studying why…

In the ACA, Texas chose Gold. The data explains why.

April 27, 2026

Gold Plans Led Texas Enrollment in 2026 Against a backdrop of national ACA enrollment declining nearly 8%, Texas added more than 200,000 plan selections in 2026. That 5.2% increase represented the largest numerical gain in the country. That growth is notable, but the data showing the composition of that growth is the more significant story….

In the ACA Marketplace, shopping around was worth $79 a month

April 24, 2026

When examining the 2026 ACA enrollment data, a clear line emerged between two groups of consumers: those who actively chose a plan during open enrollment, and those who were automatically renewed into their prior year coverage plan without taking any action. The difference in outcomes between those two groups is one of the most revealing findings in this…

AI is reshaping how some Americans get health information

April 7, 2026

Key Takeaways One in three adults (32%) have used AI for health information in the past year, with higher rates among younger adults (36%) and the uninsured (40%). For many younger adults, AI is becoming an alternative to a health care system they struggle to access or afford. Adults under 30 were six times more…

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