Overview

Texans have paid some of the highest premiums in the country for years though receiving less and less when it came to health care. It's happened because Texas' health care system is structured for the benefit of the drug industry, insurance companies, and medical specialty profits, not for consumers and patients.

With your help, TexPIRG won federal health reform legislation that can, if properly implemented, begin to deliver the increased security and relief from rising costs that Texans need.

But our work is far from complete.

The same special interests who opposed strong reform are now working to weaken and cripple its implementation.

TexPIRG will be there to ensure reform succeeds at:

• Stopping insurance companies from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions.

• Trimming costly red tape and overhead through simplified insurance forms, information technology and insurer-efficiency standards.

• Incentivizing preventive and high-quality care from your provider that keeps you well, not just endless tests, procedures and emergency room visits after you get sick.

• Giving every patient and doctor the most up-to-date information on which treatments and medicines work best.

• Allowing Texans, who don't have quality employer-provided coverage, to enroll in the kind of plans Members of Congress have through a new health insurance exchange.