Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda

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Jun
8

Can Texas Mutual help Texas’ health insurance/healthcare needs?

Texas has some rather troubling healthcare problems…and Texas’ legislators are asking the state’s largest workers’ comp insurer to help solve those problems.

First, a few Texas healthcare data points…

Of course, one of the big issues is Texas refuses to expand Medicaid for reasons I must admit are confusing at best.

And the Feds are looking to cut almost $9 billion in funding; Texas has a convoluted tax-and-transfer thing in place which CMS believes is illegal…

I’ve been digging into this of late…collecting background information, interviewing the leader of TM’s new venture and reaching out to legislators behind a bill that asked required Texas Mutual to help (details below); TM is in the process of standing up a health insurance entity that will begin operations early next year.

From the State’s website:

HB 3752 allows a subsidiary of the Texas Mutual Insurance Company to provide a health insurance product to Texans. The goal is to increase access to affordable health insurance for individuals, especially those in rural communities, and employees of small businesses.

Effective Date: September 1, 2021.

The bill would also require the company to fully explore methods to increase health insurance competition, use innovation to increase quality of care for lower costs, avoid discriminating against patients with pre-existing conditions and provide transparency when developing health benefit plans.

(3)  ensuring adequacy of benefits and access to care for individuals in this state with preexisting conditions;

(4)  issuing coverage in a manner that does not discriminate against individuals with preexisting conditions;

Not later than September 1, 2022, the company shall submit to the legislature a report explaining how any anticipated health benefit coverage offerings would comply with all considerations and guiding principles for developing health benefit coverage offerings under Subsection (a).  This subsection expires January 1, 2023.

Gotta admit, this is a head-scratcher.

 


Joe Paduda is the principal of Health Strategy Associates

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A national consulting firm specializing in managed care for workers’ compensation, group health and auto, and health care cost containment. We serve insurers, employers and health care providers.

 

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