A Texas-Sized Victory! Market-Driven, Business-Friendly Healthcare Reform Legislation has passed and has been sent to Governor Abbott for his signature.
Texas Employers for Affordable Healthcare (TXEAHC), a non-profit working to lower the cost of healthcare for employers and families, applauds the passage of House Bill 711 (88R) and the Texas Legislature’s commitment to leadership of market-driven, business-friendly reform.
“We are grateful to State Representative James Frank for authoring this bill, Senator Lois Kolkhorst for sponsoring it in the Senate, and for the leadership of Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dan Phelan to make strides to create the same free market principles that exist for all other markets outside of healthcare,” said Chris Skisak, PhD., TXEAHC executive director. “House Bill 711 will help create transparency, competition and consumer awareness – tenets long missing from the healthcare purchasing process.”
The legislation which addresses anti-competitive contract provisions and conduct affecting healthcare provider networks that is in part responsible for the higher costs paid by employers now heads to Governor Abbott.
“House Bill 711 is a step in the right direction to fix anti-competitive practices and encourages market competition,” said Rep. Frank. “Prohibiting certain unfair contract provisions will enable employees and employers to get the highest quality care for their healthcare dollars.”
Stakeholders of TXEAHC are non-profit organizations representing the state’s largest employers and a nonpartisan public policy think tank working to engage policymakers to restore health competition:
- Dallas-Fort Worth Business Group on Health
- Houston Business Coalition on Health
- San Antonio Business Group on Health
- Texas 2036
- Texas Business Group on Health
About Texas Employers for Affordable Healthcare
Texas Employers for Affordable Healthcare is a 501(c)(4) established to mobilize employers, employees and their families, and other healthcare stakeholders across the state to rein in the excessive prices paid for employer-sponsored healthcare for almost half of all Texans and approximately 14 million people. To foster transparency, prohibit anti-competitive contracts and billing, and increase oversight on consolidation and mergers, the non-profit is working to pass legislation in 2023 to restore healthy competition and thwart rising prices.