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Posted by: Dorrin Shams

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Healthplan Highlights from the 85th Legislative Session Released

The 85th Legislative Session has come to a close, and the Texas Association of Health Plans is pleased to report on a number of important achievements made possible through comprehensive communications, education, and advocacy strategy carried out in coordination and collaboration with each of our members.

Please view TAHP’s publicationHealthplan Highlights from the 85th Legislative Session 

The legislative session yielded a number of important patient protections that were a top TAHP member priority, including expanding surprise billing protections to all emergency room and freestanding ER visits and expanding network transparency requirements for freestanding ERs.

Specifically, TAHP worked to educate legislators and their staffs on the importance of boosting transparency to better protect consumers against surprise charges that result from the unfair practice of balance billing or from visits to freestanding emergency room facilities. Through opinion editorials in Texas newspapers, social media promotion, media outreach, educational materials for legislators and staffs, testimonies, and targeted Capitol meetings, TAHP helped push SB 507, which expands mediation protections and HB 3276, which increases transparency from freestanding emergency rooms, through both chambers and to the Governor’s desk.

By actively monitoring the progress of several hundred bills and staying in close contact with legislators and their staffs throughout the session, TAHP and its members secured several key legislative victories that support our overall goals of ensuring an affordable and stable health insurance market and Medicaid managed care system. 

Please view TAHP’s publicationHealthplan Highlights from the 85th Legislative Session