Overview

Statistics reported by the Texas Department of Insurance show that roughly 5.6 million Texans, or one out of every four people in the state, have no health insurance. Of these, 1.3 million are under the age of 18, meaning that one in five Texas children are not covered by any form of health insurance. This is not an issue limited to the poor or caused by illegal immigration. A recent Texas A&M study found that fully 65 percent of the uninsured in Texas are considered “non-poor.” Only 6.4 percent are non-legal residents.

The problem is not a matter of insured versus uninsured. Texans that do have medical insurance are seeing their out-of-pocket expenses skyrocket while their health coverage and access options shrink. Over the past fifteen years, increases in health care costs have steadily outpaced both inflation and growth in per capita GDP. The average single-person group health insurance premium for Texas employers was $2,193 in 1997. By 2004 this had almost doubled to $4,138. This shocking increase in the cost of health care has led to the growing use of the term underinsured.

Texas currently faces a very real and very threatening health care crisis. For this reason, TexPIRG has begun leading efforts in the state to address health care reform. There are several key events over the next few years that will provide TexPIRG and its partners opportunities to effect real change for the benefit of every Texan. The Texas Department of Insurance will be reviewed in 2008 by the state. This will result in legislative reform of the TDI in the 2009 legislative session.  In 2010 Texas’ state health agencies will go under the same state review process and subsequent legislative reform in the 2011 session.  These are unique and crucially important processes for achieving real health care reform in the state. TexPIRG has already begun  a groundswell of activity to prepare for these events, both by helping to rally support and by leading efforts from the front line.

TexPIRG is advocating for health insurance that is more affordable for Texans and that offers adequate access and coverage. We're demanding that the insurance industry be made more transparent and that state legislators make sure that Texans receive the access to health care that they both pay for and deserve. We are also pushing for the expansion of plans that will achieve more coverage for uninsured children. We believe that all Texans, regardless of where they work, how much they earn or how old they are, deserve health care options which are affordable, accessible and provide real coverage.