How rising health care costs are affecting Texans
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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas will stop counting UT Southwestern Medical Center and Texas Health Services as in-network for one of its HMO plans starting in January.
Why it matters: Health insurance costs are soaring for employees and employers.
- Americans rank access and affordability as their top health concern, over chronic illnesses and food and water safety.
The big picture: The Trump administration is still sorting out how to spend billions of dollars of health care funding. Those decisions could influence rural health funding, drug pricing and gender-affirming care restrictions.
- Meanwhile, the U.S. House is teeing up a series of health care votes this week as Democrats push for an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
- GOP leaders have said they believe an extension of the ACA tax credits is wasteful spending benefiting insurance companies.
Threat level: Employer health insurance costs have tripled relative to employee pay since 1999, per a Rice University study released Monday.
- Wages increased by 119% between 1999 and 2023 while family health insurance premiums increased by 308%, Rice researchers found. Overall inflation during that period increased 64%.
Zoom in: The Blue Cross Blue Advantage HMO plan is changing because of new contracts between the insurance provider and Southwestern Health Resources, which includes Texas Health Resources and UT Southwestern.
- Blue Cross says Southwestern Health Resources decided to leave the Blue Advantage HMO network during the contract negotiations.
- The two providers will remain in network for most Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas plans.
Between the lines: Consumers often blame insurers for increases in their health insurance premiums — but those premiums must cover the underlying cost of services, Rice health economics professor Vivian Ho said in a statement.
- "Hospitals are raising their rates faster than any other provider," Ho said.
- Southwestern Health Resources says patients were given notice of the Blue Cross change. Patients who wish to keep their doctor can switch insurance plans during marketplace open enrollment until Jan. 15.
The bottom line: Deductibles reset in January. Get any pending appointments and tests completed by the end of the month if you can.