healthinsurance.org/Texas
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Texas Health Insurance
How healthy is living
in Texas?
Texas is the 40th healthiest state to live in according to the 2012 America's Health Rankings® by the United Health Foundation.
The good news:
- Deaths from cancer dropped from 182.8 per 100,000 people in 2011 to 173.8 deaths per 100,000 people in 2012.
- Preventable hospitalizations dropped by 18 percent in the past five years.
The bad news:
- Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the U.S.: 24.2 percent.
- More than 25 percent of Texas children live in poverty.
The best and worst category rankings for Texas:
- Cancer Deaths – 13th
- Smoking – 14th
- Poor Mental Health Days – 15th
- Children in Poverty – 47th
- Infectious Disease – 48th
- Lack of Health Insurance – 50th
more details
See the United Health Foundation's latest findings on Texas.- Trust for America's Health ia another source for key Texas health quality findings. In addition, 2010's federal health reform, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), included the creation of a prevention fund to provide more than $16 billion over the next 10 years to invest in effective, proven prevention efforts, like childhood obesity prevention and tobacco cessation, and the site has a report on how it impacts Texas here.
get local health results
State snapshot too large? Get county-by-county health rankings for Texas, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Population Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin.
Does Texas have a health insurance high risk pool?
Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool
1-888-398-3927
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Starting in 2010, Texas started offering health care insurance coverage to residents through the federally established temporary high-risk pool program. To find out more about Texas's participation, click here.
Risk pools are state-sponsored programs to help people with a history of medical problems in their family to purchase coverage. These pools are for people who can afford to buy health insurance, but are not able to get underwritten in the private market because of a pre-existing health condition. These programs can vary significantly from state to state in price, benefits and number of people served. Often insurance companies doing business in the state are required to contribute to the pool to keep it in the black. In the best cases, they allow people to be able to switch jobs or become self-employed without the fear of losing their health insurance coverage. Read more about risk pools here.
Non-profit sources of health insurance information for Texas
- The Foundation for Health Coverage Education's mission is to provide simplified public and private health insurance
eligibility information in order to help more people access coverage.
Here is its guide on how to find health insurance in Texas.
- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is tracking the progress of health insurance reform in each state. Its page for Texas can be found here.
- The National Committee for Quality Assurance is a private, non-profit organization that, among other things, provides health care plan report cards for consumers. Search for Texas health insurance plan report cards.
Texas state government health insurance resources
Texas Medicaid Program — The State and Federal cooperative venture that provides medical coverage to eligible needy persons.
Texas Children’s Health Insurance Program — Sfamilies with uninsured children may be eligible for health coverage through Medicaid and the Texas CHIP. Includes regular checkups and dental care.
Texas Health Options — A resource by the Texas Department of Insurance to help Texans find health insurance coverage.
Texas Department of Insurance — The health care section of the Department’s Web site, with consumer information and more.
Texas reform, single-payer health care information
San Antonio Healthcare-Now Coalition — An affiliate of the national Healthcare-Now organization, works to achieve universal access to affordable healthcare.
Health Care For All Texas — A grassroots coalition that believes health care is a human right and that every person in the state of Texas deserves access to high-quality health care at an affordable cost.
Texas Voice for Health Reform — A project of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, aims to inform and mobilize all Texans on the national debate on health care reform.
State-specfic information on the Physicans National Health Program in Texas.
The Affordable Care Act: Immediate Benefits for Texas -- How the Affordable Health Care act will improve the lives of people living in Texas.
Why health care reform is important to Texas -- This 2009 document by the AARP provides a compelling case f for health reform in Texas.
The Benefits of Health Reform In Texas -- The Democratic Policy Committee of the United States Senate looks at benefits of health reform for the citizens of Texas.
Other helpful Texas health and medical care links
Texas mental health resource guide, offered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Government.
The National Coalition on Health Care's information for Texas -- America's oldest, most diverse, and broadest based group working to achieve comprehensive health system reform.
How did Texas officials vote on health reform?
H.R.2: Repealing the Health Care Bill
#14HOUSE|SENATE
1/19/2011--Passed House amended. Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act - Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, effective as of its enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by such Act. Repeals the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of the Act's enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by the Act's health care provisions. [more]
Yes (23)
- Joe Barton
- Kevin Brady
- Michael Burgess
- Francisco Canseco
- John Carter
- K. Conaway
- John Culberson
- Blake Farenthold
- Bill Flores
Pick
No (9)
Health insurance exchange
Texas's exchange
Find out what your state's health insurance exchange will look like.
Texas health insurance premium rebates
$167 million to 1,516,721 families
Insurance companies were forced to return an average of $187 per family in 2012.
Most-read articles
State Health Insurance Guides
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TX health insurance news
Texas could cut uninsured rate in half
09/20/2012 9:09 PM
The Texas Tribune — According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 5.8 million Texans — almost 25% of the population — don’t have health insurance. A study by the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas at Rice University estimates that 3 million people could gain coverage if the state implemented the provisions of the Affordable Care Act.
Texas receives more ‘Obamacare’ insurance premium rebates than any other state
08/17/2012 2:08 PM
The provision in the Affordable Care Act requiring insurance companies to spend a minimum of 80 percent of health insurance premium dollars on health care, or return the excess to consumers, is putting lots of money back into the Texas economy. Nearly $167 million was returned to Texans, most to those who buy health care in the individual market. And it’s just one of several provisions of the ACA which appear to be helping slow the overall rate of health cost inflation.
Who covers health care for Texas’ uninsured? Taxpayers
07/30/2012 1:07 PM
CNN Money - Texas Governor Rick Perry says he won’t expand Medicaid eligibility under the health reform law because he wants to spare taxpayers billions of dollars. But many Texas taxpayers are already shouldering the burden of the state’s uninsured through higher property taxes and heftier health insurance premiums.
Read more Texas health insurance news
TX health insurance companies
Health insurance companies in Texas.
Get health insurance quotes for these companies.
+A Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
CIGNA
Celtic Insurance Company
Companion Life Insurance Company
CoventryOne
Golden Rule Insurance Company
Humana Insurance Company
Scott & White Health Plan
UNICARE Life & Health Insurance Company
Doctor directory for Texas
Find licensed physicians near you. Each state is home to organizations that can help you find and research physicians, offering online information about a physician's license, schooling, practice information and more.
Texas Licensee SearchTexas Medical Board Other Texas Public Resources
Texas Medical Association
Health insurance for individuals TX
Resources for those individuals seeking health care insurance in Texas. If you are looking for Texas Medicare, visit our site for health insurance over 65.
The cost of repealing Obamacare
How Texas would fare
Texas could lose if important protections are undone.
How your member of Congress voted
healthreformvotes.org
Your members of the Texas Congressional delegation voted on health care reform.