Texas Impact is here to help your voice be heard and to help you participate in the legislative process.
This summer we are hosting several health insurance town hall forums all around the state. These forums will give Texans the opportunity to share their concerns, questions, and stories about health insurance with their legislators and community members.
Click here to see the Cover Texas Now Tour Schedule and visit out educational website devoted to the health insurance issue.
For millions of Texas, access to quality health insurance is a significant concern. Texans have seen health insurance premiums jump 40 percent in just five years, and we have some of the highest premiums in the US. More than five million Texans—one out of every four—lack any kind of health insurance, and millions more are underinsured, paying stiff premiums for policies that still leave them vulnerable to medical debt.
The good news is that the ongoing Sunset Review of the Texas Department of Insurance is providing a unique opportunity for lawmakers to consider the role of the private insurance market in making health care available to Texans. Because Sunset Reviews happen only once a decade, lawmakers are studying the private insurance market in more detail than they usually do.
So, as Texas considers its private health insurance market, it is absolutely vital that legislators hear from working Texans—and lots of them—about the realities of getting and staying insured in this state. Taking time to connect with your legislators through public meetings, or more district visits, lets them know how serious this issue is for Texans.
Our first health insurance town hall meeting took place last month in Houston, where almost one hundred people gathered to give a human face to the millions of under- and uninsured in Texas. A panel including Representative Garnet Coleman and Representative Alma Allen answered questions that the audience posed.
Margaret Torres told community members her harrowing story of trying to get health insurance after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. Like many Americans, Ms. Torres had been insured through her employer; yet, after her diagnosis she could no longer work. For twelve years, Ms. Torres suffered from high blood pressure and heart problems caused by her tumor—all without health insurance. Ms. Torres credits the kindness of her doctor, who treated her pro bono, for helping her survive.
Representative Coleman stressed the importance of ensuring that all Texans have health insurance. He also reminded the audience to visit their senators and representatives to express their concerns, so that others do not suffer like Ms. Torres did.
That's why Texas Impact is making it our first priority this summer to hold events where Texans can speak directly to legislators about their health insurance issues. We believe that all the affected parties—consumers, providers, insurers and policymakers—should work in good faith toward a common goal of expanding access to the private health insurance market. The first part of that process is giving you a chance to weigh in.
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