Health Care

A broad coalition including consumers, physicians, religious institutions, seniors, patients, homeowners, labor, and others united in a press conference on Tuesday behind an agenda designed to create a healthy insurance market which strengthens protections for patients, homeowners, and drivers while ensuring stability for the industry. The press conference preceded the Texas Sunset Commission's public hearing on the Texas Department of Insurance.

Watch the Press Conference (requires QuickTime Media Player--Download QuickTime Player for free )

“A New Diagnosis” Focuses on Private Health Insurance Market Reform

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Texas Impact today released a study calling for extensive and long-overdue reforms in the private health insurance market in Texas. The report, “A New Diagnosis: Building the Private Market to Improve Health Coverage for Texans,” is released in anticipation of a Sunset Commission hearing on continuation of the Texas Department of Insurance scheduled for Tuesday in Austin.

Following are the comments Texas Impact submitted in response to the Sunset Commission staff's report on the Texas Department of Insurance and the Office of Public Insurance Counsel.

The formal public comment period on the staff report ended June 9, although members of the public are encouraged to provide comments and suggestions throughout the Sunset process. The public hearing on the Texas Department of Insurance will be held June 24 in Austin in the House Appropriations Committee Room (E1.030) in the Capitol Extension.

AUSTIN--A coalition of religious and consumer groups said it’s alarming that a key state government report on insurance released this week barely mentioned Texas’ ailing health insurance market. Advocates said that the Sunset Commission staff evaluation of the Texas Department of Insurance released Wednesday, May 21, gives the Legislature little guidance to address one of the most serious problems facing Texans.

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“Health insurance got stiffed in this review, even though it’s the one kind of insurance that every single Texan needs. A market that fails to serve one out of every four prospective customers is clearly in need of strong legislative and regulatory direction. Legislators should make sure that TDI exists to make insurance available and affordable for taxpayers, not just to maintain a playing field for the insurance industry,” said Bee Moorhead, director of the interfaith group Texas Impact.