DallasNews.com

Texas Adds 570,000 to Affordable Health Care Plans, Leading All States in Newly Insured

Higher subsidies, a new state rate law and fixing the ‘family glitch’ cut into Texas’ huge pool of uninsured.

Texas is cutting into its uninsured problem with nearly 570,000 new signups for affordable health plans for 2023 — a nation-leading growth rate for the third straight year.

The newly insured pushed Texas over the 2.4 million mark for residents seeking coverage on HealthCare.gov during the open enrollment period that ended Jan. 15, according to federal data.

That’s a record high for the Lone Star State and more than double the total from three years ago. Texans’ enrollment grew 31% compared with 12.4% nationwide.

Why are so many Texans embracing the Affordable Care Act plans once dubbed Obamacare?

Give much of the credit to more generous federal subsidies, which began with the pandemic and have been extended through 2025. They made health coverage more affordable for more people, and extended subsidies to those earning more than 400% of the federal poverty level, which was just over $92,000 for a family of three last year.

A rule change enabled family members — for the first time — to add separate subsidized coverage when the breadwinner’s company insurance isn’t affordable for everyone.

Even state Republican lawmakers, who’ve opposed ACA since the law’s passage in 2010, made the exchange plans more compelling for Texans.

In 2021, they passed a “focused rate review” bill, authored by state Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, that requires insurers to align premiums across different tiers of coverage.

As a result, many residents had the chance to buy 2023 plans with little or no premiums and much lower deductibles.

To read the full article, visit our partners at the Dallas Morning News.

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