Act, which was adopted in December to provide patient protections against surprise billing.

In response to the pandemic, the Biden Administration created a special enrollment period for Americans that started on July 1 and runs through August 15. This gives consumers additional time to shop for coverage and to take advantage of new savings through the American Rescue Plan.

A recent external study showed that Texas’ STAR Kids program beats national benchmarks in the majority of areas. These areas include getting needed care (66% compared to 61%), positive customer experience (76% to 68%), specialist rating (82% to 74%) and access to prescription medications (75% to 69%).

Last month, AHIP, the national organization for health plans, released state-by-state data breaking down employer-sponsored health coverage in each state. In Texas, almost 13.5 million Texans were covered by an employer-sponsored plan, the way the majority of Texans (52%) have health insurance coverage.

Like every session, the 87th Texas Legislature was full of action and surprises. Throughout the 140 days of the regular session, Texas Association of Health Plans was monitoring and actively participating every step of the way, all with the goal of helping our members as they endeavor to make Texas a healthier place.

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Texas has seen a dangerous trend of outrageous bills for COVID-19 testing, including numerous bills over $10,000. Most of these excessive bills are often tied to freestanding emergency rooms. Not only do these facilities overcharge for the test, they often pile on thousands of dollars in physician, facility, and observation fees. In many of these cases, Texas patients received drive-thru testing, where no medical care was delivered other than a simple COVID test.

Covered Conference + Expo that will take place in person in Austin (COVID permitting) from November 8-10. The conference is the largest event of its kind in Texas and brings together decision-makers from across the health care spectrum—from major health plans, providers, and regulators, to legislators, journalists, academics, and more.

June 7, 2021 One week ago today, the 87th Texas Legislature completed the regular session. This Medicaid Monday we’re…

A recent survey of small business owners provides a warning for policy makers. Nearly one in three small business owners that provide health coverage to employees has considered dropping it—the vast majority because costs are too high.