Changes are coming to health care in Texas
This is a preview of our Texas 2036 newsletter that highlights Texas 2036-endorsed health care legislation from the 88th Legislature. To receive this weekly look at our work, sign up here.
Investing in the Future of Texas: Health Care
Making moves: In bold steps toward a healthier Texas, lawmakers confronted head-on the escalating challenges of health care affordability and access across the state during the 2023 legislative session.
- This included initiating ambitious reforms to revive and recalibrate our health care markets.
Where we stood: Texas 2036 focused on the root causes of affordability issues and the gaps in health care services to help Texans get the care they need when they need it.
- The result is a dozen bills that will support strategies to enhance market competition, curb excessive pricing and fill crucial gaps in coverage.
Keep reading: Find our major health care legislative highlights below and see more results from the 88th Legislature here.
▶️ Senior Policy Advisor Charles Miller discusses the top legislative wins for health care from the legislative session.
🩻 Revitalizing Healthy Markets
To restore competition to health care markets, new legislation will prohibit contracts that restrict choice or prevent price transparency, demonstrating support for market competition and consumer rights.
- Learn more about House Bill 711, which was authored by Rep. Frank, R-Wichita Falls, and Sen. Kolkhorst, R-Brenham.
🤱 Extending Postpartum Medicaid
By extending Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women from two months to 12 months postpartum, Texas moms will be better able to care for their babies and themselves.
- Texas 2036 was proud to be one of more than 160 groups supporting HB 12 led by Rep. Rose, D-Dallas, and Sen. Kolkhorst.
▶️ Policy Advisor Emily Brizzolara-Dove breaks down expanding Medicaid in Texas for postpartum women.
🛒 Empowering Smart Shoppers
To empower Texans who haven’t yet hit their deductible, this bill allows savvy health care consumers to save on out-of-pocket expenses when they find better deals outside their insurer’s network.
- Health care shoppers will now be able to take advantage of better prices without being penalized with HB 2002 by. Rep. Oliverson, R-Cypress, and Sen. Hancock, R-North Richland Hills.
🔎 Improving Billing Transparency
Patients deserve a detailed understanding of the charges they incur. This new billing transparency legislation requires medical facilities like hospitals to issue itemized, plain-language bills.
- Senate Bill 490 by Sen. Hughes, R-Mineola, and Rep. Caroline Harris, R-Round Rock, is a major step forward for hospital price transparency.
We want to hear from you:
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📊 Unlocking Health Data
Optimizing the potential of the all-payer claims database will enable researchers to publish helpful research for the public on how to lower the cost and improve the quality of health care.
- More specifically, HB 3414 by Rep. Oliverson and Sen. Hancock will allow researchers to identify medical providers and health insurers by name, enabling employers, policymakers and the public to make more informed decisions on how to design benefit plans and where to seek care.
💊 Ensuring Affordable Prescription Drugs
To address the skyrocketing cost of medications, Texas will have a new path to import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada.
- HB 25 by Rep. Talarico, D-Round Rock, and Sen. Kolkhorst will use a safe, FDA-approved process to gain access to these medications.
More Health Care Legislation 🔬
Other notable Texas 2036-supported legislation will:
✔️ Expand access to youth mental health services
✔️ Modernize communications for Medicaid
✔️ Ensure physician access to patient benefit information, and more!
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