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Texas works toward health care affordability in 2025

Charles Miller, Director of Health and Economic Mobility Policy

The average family premium for employer-sponsored insurance in Texas now tops $25,000, almost one-third of the state’s median household income.

One in three Texans, and over half of Texas moms, have skipped care because they couldn’t find out what it would cost beforehand.

What it means: Lack of price transparency is a barrier to care, and it’s costing Texans.

That’s why the 2025 Texas Legislature took steps to improve the health of our health care markets through increased transparency, expanded options and aligned incentives. We dive in further on the top three themes.

1.Texas Expands Price Transparency & Access to Actionable Information

SB 1 Huffman (Bonnen); HB 138 Dean (Bettencourt); SB 493 Kolkhorst (Wharton); HB 1314 Hickland (Hughes); SB 331 Kolkhorst (Frank); HB 216 Harris-Davila (Hughes)

  • Lawmakers fully funded the state’s All-Payer Claims Database (SB 1) and passed legislation to put it to use (HB 138), giving policymakers and researchers a powerful tool to evaluate cost-effective care and improve state benefit plans.
  • They also banned anti-competitive gag clauses that kept pharmacists from telling patients about cheaper options (SB 493).
  • New laws expanded price disclosure rules, speeding up timelines for advance cost estimates (HB 1314) and broadened hospital price transparency rules to include other facilities like outpatient surgery centers (SB 331).

Finally, technical fixes (HB 216) will strengthen efforts passed last session to support clearer, more transparent medical billing.

2.The State Increases Options for Obtaining Care & Improving Rural Access

HB 18 Van Deaver (Perry); SB 963 Hughes (Manuel); HB 879 Frank (Hagenbuch); HB 2038 Oliverson (Sparks); SB 1401 West (Davis)

The Legislature expanded rural health care options by funding grant programs to help rural hospitals stay open and retain staff (HB 18). Lawmakers also allowed Medicaid insurers to inform former members about similar coverage options available on the individual marketplace (SB 963).

To grow the health care workforce, a pair of bills created faster licensing pathways for qualified military veterans (HB 879, HB 2038), as well as foreign-trained doctors and medical school graduates (HB 2038). A new mental health workforce pipeline was also created through scholarships and clinical training hubs (SB 1401).

3.Legislature Aligns Incentives to Help Patients Find High-Value Care

SB 926 Hancock (Frank)

Health Insurers were given the flexibility to incentivize patients to seek high-value care through lower copays & deductibles, or tiered network plans, but only if these incentives are in the best interest of the patient. This flexibility along with the fiduciary duty helps lower expenses while protecting against self-dealing by insurers.

Learn more about Texas Health Care:

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