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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How Health Insurance Premiums Squeeze Teacher Paychecks

October 2, 2026

For the 2028-29 biennium, the Teacher Retirement System of Texas is asking the Legislature for an additional $110 million to hold growth of average TRS-ActiveCare premiums below 10% in FY 2028. During TRS’ Legislative Appropriations Request on Sept. 9, Texas 2036 testified in support of this request but also used this moment to bring up…

Poll: Texans Want Healthcare Transparency, Reject Status Quo

October 1, 2026

Healthcare consolidation in Texas has accelerated as hospitals acquire physician practices, insurers extend their reach into pharmacies, and private equity firms take ownership stakes across the healthcare delivery system. In our 10th Texas Voter Poll, we find that Texas voters have noticed the gap between what they can see and what is actually happening to…

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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….

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