NEWS
Health care prices vary widely across Texas – new website shows how much
Texas 2036’s new online tool examines the differences in prices for the same health care services, the implications for patients and taxpayers, and significant information gaps
AUSTIN, TX – Texas 2036’s new online dashboard — which shows health care pricing data in an easy-to-visualize format — vividly demonstrates price discrepancies that help drive higher and higher government spending, insurance costs, out-of-pocket spending, and health-related inflation – but also how few hospitals are providing pricing data in compliance with transparency laws.
Texas 2036 began researching this data as part of an effort to evaluate the true prices of various health care services around the state. However, inconsistent compliance with state and federal hospital price transparency laws limited what pricing data was available. So, as a first step, the organization focused on data provided by hospitals and their compliance with these laws.
“The data available as of this spring suggests that only about 31 percent of Texas hospitals are mostly compliant with state and federal law,” says Charles Miller, senior policy advisor for health care at Texas 2036. “But even when data might be available, a lack of standards makes it really difficult to utilize. There’s a lot of room for improvement.”
To help facilitate those improvements, Texas 2036 is offering recommendations to make the data more accessible, including the adoption of a clear data standard that could encourage and improve reporting and provide researchers with better data for analysis.
These data files offer the potential for a unique and vital reference point for Texas legislators and leaders as they consider options for reducing health care spending while maintaining high levels of care and access in every part of Texas, said Texas 2036 Vice President of Data and Analytics Dr. Holly Heard.
“By spotlighting and addressing market inefficiencies, we hope to help lawmakers and all Texans get better care at a better price – especially those communities disproportionately affected by high health care prices,” Heard said. “The disclosure of health care pricing data has the potential to significantly improve our understanding of health care markets.”
The new public dashboard, which can be found at pricetransparency.Texas2036.org, represents the most comprehensive, publicly available Texas health care pricing transparency tool to date. It analyzes pricing data for a range of health procedures and services, both statewide and within 11 Public Health Regions — providing Texans a snapshot of how prices for the same health care services vary among different hospitals, payers, and geographic regions.
As part of an ongoing effort by federal agencies to empower employers and consumers to make more informed decisions about their health care spending, federal law required hospitals operating in the United States to provide clear, accessible pricing information about their services beginning January 1, 2021. Texas passed a similar law that went into effect in September of that year.
Working with data science firm January Advisors, Texas 2036 attempted to locate and download data for 644 hospitals in Texas. Analysts then reviewed and classified each of the data files. As of April 2022, key findings include:
- Only 65% of hospitals had made pricing data available in a way that researchers were able to access it.
- 31% of hospitals were mostly compliant with the law, meaning that they listed standard charges, cash prices, minimum and maximum negotiated rates, and insurer-specific rates in their data. It is unclear whether the lists include all services offered at each hospital.
- Most large hospital systems in Texas are missing key pieces of data, such as insurer-specific rates.
- Comparisons between hospitals are often difficult or impossible due to issues with the availability and formatting of hospital codes and insurer-specific information.
Most insurers and employers were required to disclose their own transparency files as of July 1, 2022, and beginning in 2024 will be required to provide their enrollees with consumer-friendly comparison shopping tools that show consumers their out-of-pocket costs for specific providers.
To learn more about health care pricing transparency in Texas and access the data, visit: https://texas2036.org/health-care-price-transparency
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About Texas 2036
Texas 2036 is a nonprofit organization building long-term, data-driven strategies to secure Texas’ prosperity through our state’s bicentennial and beyond. We offer non-partisan ideas and modern solutions that are grounded in research and data on issues that matter most to all Texans. For more information, visit www.texas2036.org.
A new order for a ban on all outdoor burning was issued today March 18 at 1:30 p.m. and will continue for seven days unless lifted earlier by county officials. It carries the same restrictions as last week’s ban.
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott today announced that he directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate additional state emergency response resources in anticipation of extremely critical wildfire danger expected across West Texas and ongoing elevated-to-critical fire weather conditions across most of the state into the weekend.
“The State of Texas continues to monitor the heightened wildfire threats that are impacting large portions of the state,” said Governor Abbott. “Due to the unpredictable nature of wildfires, I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to ready additional emergency response resources to assist local communities with any wildfire outbreaks. With dry conditions, wind gusts, and low humidity increasing wildfire danger, Texans are encouraged to make an emergency plan, limit any activities that can cause a spark, and heed the guidance of local officials to keep yourself and your family safe.”
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, dry surface fuels, very strong wind gusts, and low humidity will continue to support increased wildfire danger across nearly all of the state, with extremely critical wildfire danger expected in areas including the High Plains, South Plains, Permian Basin, Big Country, Texoma, Metroplex, and Hill Country. High winds could promote large wind-driven fires with high resistance to control.
The Texas A&M Forest Service is monitoring conditions for the potential of a Southern Plains Wildfire Outbreak tomorrow, a dangerous fire weather pattern that could develop under the current forecast. According to the National Weather Service, increased wildfire danger is expected to continue over the next several days.
The Wildland Fire Preparedness Level remains at Preparedness Level 3, indicating that wildfire activity is impacting several regions of the state as the result of drought, dry vegetation, or frequent fire weather events.
The Texas State Emergency Operations Center (SOC) remains activated at Level II (Escalated Response) as the state stands ready to support local officials’ response to wildfire danger. At the Governor’s direction, more than 750 state emergency responders and over 300 pieces of equipment have mobilized from more than 16 state agencies to support the state’s wildfire response across Texas.
The following state emergency response resources continue to remain ready to support local wildfire response operations, including:
- Texas A&M Forest Service (Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System): Local, state, and out of state firefighters and support personnel, fire engines, bulldozers, and motor graders; federally contracted firefighting aircraft, including large air tankers, single-engine air tankers for retardant drops, air attack platforms for surveillance and spotting, super scoopers for water drops, helicopters with firefighting capability, fire bosses and an aerial supervision module for aerial guidance
- Texas Division of Emergency Management: The State of Texas Incident Management Team to support deployed emergency response resources across the state
- Texas National Guard: Chinook and Blackhawk helicopters with firefighting capability
- Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Wildland Fire Support Packages consisting of medics, ambulances, and all-terrain vehicles
- Texas Department of Public Safety: Texas Highway Patrol Troopers to patrol roadways and assist stranded motorists
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Game Wardens, State Park Police
- Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas A&M Task Force 1 and Texas Task Force 2): Type 3 Urban Search and Rescue Teams
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster Assessment and Recovery Agents as well as AgriLife Extension Agents to support agricultural and livestock needs
- Texas Animal Health Commission: Coordinating animal resource needs
- Texas Department of Agriculture: Coordinating agricultural resource needs
- Texas Department of Transportation: Personnel monitoring road conditions
- Public Utility Commission of Texas: Power outage monitoring and coordination with utility providers
- Railroad Commission of Texas: Monitoring of the state’s natural gas supply and communication with the oil and gas industry
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air/water/wastewater monitoring
- Texas Health and Human Services Commission: Personnel to provide information on available services through the 2-1-1 Texas Information Referral Network
- Texas Department of Information Resources: Monitoring technology infrastructure
Texans are urged to implement wildfire prevention measures, including avoiding activities that may cause sparks or flames, making an emergency plan, follow instructions from local officials, and keeping emergency supplies easily available.
Texans can visit TexasReady.gov for wildfire prevention information, locate all-hazards preparedness information at tdem.texas.gov/prepare and find the latest wildfire information at tfsweb.tamu.edu.
Governor Abbott continues to take action to provide all available resources to help support local communities and protect Texans from wildfire impacts, including:
- Encouraging Texans impacted by wildfire to report damage by using TDEM’s online damage reporting tool.
- Increasing the Readiness Level of the State Emergency Operations Center and adding counties to the state’s wildfire disaster declaration.
- Deploying additional state emergency response resources ahead of extremely critical wildfire danger.
- Activating state wildfire response resources ahead of wildfire danger.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Bowie City Councilors approved the first reading of an ordinance for new water rates Tuesday night, following months of debate over first rate change for water since 2018.
The residential customer in the city limits uses on average 2,000 to 3,000 gallons of water per month, and under the new rates will see an increase from $5 to $7.50 a month. This water rate proposal was different from the previous offerings as it adjusted usage, not the base rate or adding any new fees.
This approval came on the heels of a workshop on March 4 where the council members learned more about pending infrastructure needs at the water plant including a new raw water pump and upgrades to the plant as it nears 85% capacity.
Public Works Director Stony Lowrance and Plant Director Jerry Sutton last week told the council the pump is already a mandate from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and has to be done; however, the plant is operating at about 80% capacity. When it hits 85% the city will have to undertaken plans to expand to meet the larger capacity.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
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