HEALTH CARE IN CRISIS—One in five Texas children are not covered by any form of health insurance.

Solving Texas’ Health Care Crisis

In the coming months, Texas will have an opportunity to give its health care system a badly needed overhaul.

In 2008, the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), the agency that oversees Texas’ health insurance industry, will be reviewed by the state. This review could lead to legislative reform of the TDI, as well as Texas’ health insurance policies, in the coming years. TexPIRG will be working with a broad coalition to build support for significant health care reform in Texas.

Texas currently faces a very real and very serious health care crisis. The TDI reports that roughly 5.6 million Texans, or one out of every four people in the state, have no health insurance. In addition, one in five Texas children are not covered by any form of health insurance.

This is not an issue that is limited to the poor, nor is it caused by illegal immigration. A recent Texas A&M study found that fully 65 percent of the uninsured in Texas are considered “non-poor.” And only 6.4 percent of the uninsured in Texas are non-legal residents.

“All Texans deserve access to affordable health care, especially children,” said Ed Mierzwinski, federal consumer program director. “We’re calling on elected officials to make health care reform a top priority in the state.”