Today it was announced that since the No Surprises Act went into effect at the beginning of the year, Americans haveavoided more than 2 million surprise bills. The law protects patients from most surprise medical bills and removes them from the middle of negotiations between providers and insurers when it comes to disputes on what should be paid. That’s the good news.
The use of emergency rooms for primary care services is decreasing, thanks to Medicaid managed care. A recent report by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) shows a 15.5% decrease in the number of potentially preventable emergency room visits in Texas Medicaid and CHIP programs. This is great news for both Medicaid members and taxpayers. Utilizing preventative and standard care before conditions become emergencies leads to better health outcomes and to less costly care.
Can driving just a few miles save a patient thousands of dollars? If they’re in the market for health care, the answer is yes. In Dallas, according to a recent article in D Magazine, the cost of a gallbladder removal surgery can range from $5,000 to $35,000. And rarely are prices posted online—even though they’re supposed to be.
Download PDFBy Jessica Lynch As the public health emergency winds down, millions risk losing Medicaid coverage, not because they no longer qualify but because they get caught in the redetermination process once continuous coverage ends. However, one population faces continual risk for interrupted coverage — pregnant Texas women. When a member loses their Medicaid benefits…
Download PDFby Jamie Dudensing and Alicia Pierce A recently announced change to the administration of the Affordable Care Act will expand access to affordable health insurance for an estimated 5 million Americans. In Texas, it could provide options for more than 600,000 of the state’s uninsured. Currently, individuals qualify for subsidies even if they have…
In the summer of 1965, President and Texan Lyndon Johnson signed the law that would put Medicaid into effect. Fifty-six years later, Medicaid is an essential program for the health of many Americans. In Texas, Medicaid connects more than 4 million Texans with the greatest medical needs to health care and coverage.
In response to the pandemic, the Biden Administration created a special enrollment period for Americans that started on July 1 and runs through August 15. This gives consumers additional time to shop for coverage and to take advantage of new savings through the American Rescue Plan.
A recent external study showed that Texas’ STAR Kids program beats national benchmarks in the majority of areas. These areas include getting needed care (66% compared to 61%), positive customer experience (76% to 68%), specialist rating (82% to 74%) and access to prescription medications (75% to 69%).
Last month, AHIP, the national organization for health plans, released state-by-state data breaking down employer-sponsored health coverage in each state. In Texas, almost 13.5 million Texans were covered by an employer-sponsored plan, the way the majority of Texans (52%) have health insurance coverage.