91% of Texans to be insured by 2014, thanks to the Affordable Care Act

The Texas Medicaid Director, Billy Millwee, spoke to the House Public Health and Insurance committees this week regarding the Affordable Care Act. The director has been tracking the trends and effects that the federal health care law has birthed in the state and has come to a promising conclusion. Currently, 74% of the state’s residents have some form of health insurance coverage. Millwee claims that when the Affordable Care Act is fully enacted in 2014, this will jump to 91%. By that time, only 2.3 million Texans will have no…

Read More

Texas insurance regulatory system may be seized by federal regulators if the state’s Department of Insurance is not granted more authority

The Texas Department of Insurance has been reviewing health insurance rate proposals since the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010. Regulators have been scrutinizing any insurer that aims to raise rates by 10% or higher, but their efforts may be in vain. According to the Department of Insurance, regulators do not have the authority to block any rate proposal that they deem excessive. They also do not have the means to distribute information regarding rate hikes amongst consumers. This is because the state does not have the laws to…

Read More

Texas Consumer Health Assistance Program to come to an end after a short year of operations

The Texas Consumer Health Assistance Program, a state-run program meant to help consumers find affordable health insurance, is scheduled to be shut down this April after only a year of operation. The program was established in January last year with the help of a $2.8 million federal grant. More than 6,000 consumers had used the service to find insurance coverage and the program was responsible for over 160 events geared toward raising awareness of insurance options. Despite the benefits the program had brought consumers, however, it will be shutting down…

Read More

New report shows that Farmers Insurance of Texas has the most consumer complaints of any other insurer in the state

A new report from Texas Watch, a consumer advocacy group promoting transparency in the insurance industry, shows that Farmers Insurance, the third largest insurance organization in the state, boasts of the most consumer complaints in the state. The report’s findings are based on data collected by state insurance regulators between the periods of October 2010 and September 2011. According to the report, Farmers has garnered a great deal of consumer complaint for their handling of homeowner claims. In regards to the report, Farmers spokesman Jerry Davies noted that its credibility…

Read More

Farmers Insurance and State Farm look to raise rates on home insurance in Texas

Farmers Insurance Group, one of the largest insurers in the U.S., has unveiled plans to raise rates on homeowner’s insurance policies in Texas. The new rates, if approved by state regulators, will take effect next year. The company cites the growing number of high cost claims that has been streaming in since 2008 as reason for higher premiums. The proposal for higher rates from Farmers Insurance comes on the heels of a similar proposal from State Farm that would have the same effect on homeowner’s policies. The insurer is seeking…

Read More