Why is Health Insurance in Dallas so high? (Flower Mound, Double Oak: appointed, preschool)

[DoubleFly]

I'm moving from CT to Double Oak (NW Dallas suburb), and I called up my insurance company (Aetna) to inform them of the change. My Obama premium (with all the new changes) in CT would have been $780, but the same exact plan with the same company costs $1,040. That's a 33% increase.

Is it something about too much sun/ozone? Or does Texas have a really messed up health insurance system?

[FarNorthDallas]

Well, I think less than half the population even has health insurance in Texas.

Edited to add - I think that's for employer-based health insurance

[getmeoutofhere]

More fat and unhealthy people in Texas.

[Boompa]

The fact that you live in texas isn't obama's fault

[FarNorthDallas]

Oh yeah, we're fat too. I forgot about that.

[loves2read]

the insurance board in TX is appointed by the Governor--so blame Rick Perry--
he chooses people who are industry friendly and the legislature writes laws that support the freedom of the insurance industry to pass along any all costs real or imaginary to the users

DO NOT blame Obama for something that TX has brought on itself

[FarNorthDallas]

And we've already been through tort reform which was supposed to be the answer to all things expensive and medical. ha.

[DoubleFly]

I'm not blaming Obama - but there was a noticeable spike in my CT premium for this year (already in the $780) due to the changes he implements. Still doesn't explain why the same health insurance is 33% higher in Texas. Most other things in Texas seem much cheaper - auto insurance, water, child care, etc. Preschool in Texas is less than half the cost of CT.

[FarNorthDallas]

Does CT have a lot of uninsured sometimes illegal residents getting all of their medical needs taken care of for free? Does CT have residents who opt out of free employee based health insurance because it's still cheaper for them to utilize medical care via public hospitals and clinics than to have health insurance? I have no idea if these things make Texas more expensive, but it does mean we have fewer people paying in.

[skids929]

Did you change employers? This may have something to do with group size and the way it is underwritten. In CT. what qualifies as a small group may not in Texas, and in the North Eastern states there is alot of legislation that dictates how one can underwrite group insurance with small risk pools. I don't know for sure, but what I know of Texas it's pretty free marketish so there may not be any legislation with built in caps like this.

I am sure this has to do with legislation and underwriting practices being different from state to state. If you changed employers and the plan design is the same that doesn't mean a thing. Oh yeah, and Obamas healthcare legislation HAS in fact had a net effect on insurance premiums, so you are correct, and yes it is his fault. ; )

I hear Double Oak is nice..Wife and I considering Flower Mound, coming down again in May to trapes around the DFW area to look at communities and see family. We love it down there. Much like you coming from CT, we're coming from the Communist Republic of MA. ; )