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June 4, 2019
New Law Protects Texas Consumers from Having Credit Damaged by Surprise Medical Bills
AUSTIN – Consumer credit reporting agencies are now prohibited from including medical debt collection accounts in consumer reports thanks to Senate Bill 1037 by Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, and Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-Brownsville, which was signed Friday by Gov. Greg Abbott. The law takes effect immediately and represents a major step in protecting consumers from the long-lasting damage that can result from surprise billing in Texas, where patients are at an uncommonly high risk of receiving expensive surprise bills.
May 24, 2019
Texas Legislature Passes Prescription Drug Price Transparency Bill
AUSTIN—The Texas Legislature acted today to keep prescription drug costs down by passing HB 2536 by Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, which requires drug pricing transparency by drug manufacturers, health plans and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
March 21, 2018
TribTalk: Medicaid Managed Care is Still the Right Choice for Texas
Too often, government programs make headlines due to inefficiencies and cost overruns. But what if the state could adopt a program with a decades-long track record of containing health care cost growth to rates four times lower than national averages, while improving clients’ quality of care? While that may sound too good to be true, Texas was one of the first states to embrace this initiative, known as Medicaid managed care.
March 2, 2018
Valley Central: Insurance Company Works with McAllen School to Accommodate Student
Jordan is now a senior at McAllen High School, but has come across some challenges getting to class, as he is also a member of his school’s band.
February 12, 2018
Dallas Morning News Special Report – State of Emergency: An Examination of Freestanding ERs in Texas
The facilities aim to add convenience by allowing patients to be seen faster than in full-service hospitals’ ERs — where overcrowding has been an issue — and by making emergency care more accessible in areas without a hospital nearby.
February 7, 2018
CBS Denver: “Bill Would Clarify Costs of Visits to Free-standing ERs for Patients”
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) – Coloradans who need medical treatment often walk into free-standing emergency rooms thinking they are simply urgent care facilities or clinic and they don’t realize what the visit will cost them. When the bill arrives, they owe thousands of dollars.
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