88% of Texas voters say it’s important to have a strong, sustainable Medicaid program according to a new Morning Consult poll. Why it matters: Texas Medicaid provides coverage…

Glenn Hamer, President & CEO, Texas Association of Business, released the results of the group’s survey of employers on…

What’s New With the No Surprises Act? Final rules for the arbitration process of the No Surprises Act have…

Today’s Texas Medicaid is more than health care coverage—it connects Texans to the personalized care and support they need to stay healthy and live the fullest lives possible. Medicaid managed care gives Texans with complex medical needs access to caring health plan nurses that provide one-on-one support and walk families through every step of the complicated and overwhelming health care system.

Yesterday, President Biden signed broad ranging legislation that includes several major health care initiatives, including extending the enhanced subsidies for ACA health plans. First part of the American Rescue Plan Act, these enhanced subsidies help make coverage affordable for many Americans, but were set to expire at the end of this year. Under the new legislation, the enhanced subsidies will go through 2025.

As the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency approaches, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is actively preparing to complete a large number of eligibility and enrollment actions. Beginning as soon as mid-October, an estimated 3.7 million Texans will need to have their Medicaid eligibility redetermined. For those individuals who found themselves needing Medicaid for the first time during the pandemic, this will be their first experience with the redetermination process. 

Health plans focus not just on the health of individual members, they also invest in the health of communities. By helping to build strong communities, health plans support better health outcomes for everyone. Since the beginning stages of the pandemic, Superior HealthPlan has worked with more than 70 schools and organizations in Texas to launch and fund hygiene closets for lower-income neighborhoods. Grants to the community-based organizations hosting the closets help organizations meet people’s basic needs and create community connection.

In 2021, 34.2% of adults in Texas reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. Experiencing mental health challenges can have long-lasting consequences, especially for vulnerable populations. Every Texan deserves access to mental health services. Today’s Texas Medicaid managed care organizations provide a broad spectrum of screenings and treatment services for mental health conditions and substance use disorders with timely access for members and appropriate follow-up care. Managed care allows for flexibility in developing new models of service delivery that are not possible in traditional fee-for-service. 

People with health insurance have better access to care, and importantly that includes mental health care. Two recent studies show that people with insurance not only have better access to mental health services, but they are overwhelmingly satisfied with the services they receive.