Exactly how bad is Texas healthcare? (Houston, Dallas: 2014, health insurance, how much)

[Bradpaisley94]

Everywhere I read that Texas has the worst healthcare in the country (and maybe even in the western world). My question is, how bad is it and why is it so bad? Is it bad all over the state or just in some cities?

What cities have the best healthcare in Texas and how much do you have to pay in annual avarage for health insurance to get a good cover?

[mm4]

What does it matter to you?

[ikoolu]

better question is what providers are in Texas- i only found one for McClellan county and retiring there next year - before Medicaid kicks in

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by Bradpaisley94

Everywhere I read that Texas has the worst healthcare in the country (and maybe even in the western world). My question is, how bad is it and why is it so bad? Is it bad all over the state or just in some cities?

What cities have the best healthcare in Texas and how much do you have to pay in annual avarage for health insurance to get a good cover?

Texas may have some of the lowest rates of healthcare insurance coverage but the quality of care provided to those with insurance is top rate, particularly in Houston which has one of the best medical centers in the world! Dallas, Austin, Lubbock, San Antonio, all have excellent quality of care.

Are you asking about healthcare insurance coverage? Or the quality of healthcare? Two very different things.

[Amazing Moves]

Does anybody have a list of private health insurance providers in Texas that are NOT on the healthcare.gov?

[Surfertx]

I'm researching some quotes and so many providers, Etna, UHC, Cigna don't have any plans here, well almost everywhere else too.

[DanielWayne]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Texas may have some of the lowest rates of healthcare insurance coverage but the quality of care provided to those with insurance is top rate, particularly in Houston which has one of the best medical centers in the world! Dallas, Austin, Lubbock, San Antonio, all have excellent quality of care.

Are you asking about healthcare insurance coverage? Or the quality of healthcare? Two very different things.

This is worth repeating. The OP needs to clarify. "Texas healthcare" can mean multiple things that are not at all similar. The way the question is phrased sounds almost like the state provides healthcare to everybody.

[Westerner92]

Originally Posted by DanielWayne

This is worth repeating. The OP needs to clarify. "Texas healthcare" can mean multiple things that are not at all similar. The way the question is phrased sounds almost like the state provides healthcare to everybody.

OP is from Sweden, so they're likely not aware of how it works here.

To OP, the catch to American healthcare is that it is probably the best healthcare in the world IF you can afford it. Health insurance here really only protects from catastrophe and covers the cost of the occasional checkup.

It depends on what kind of plans your employer offers, but for a young, single, healthy person at a large company, the typical situation is that you pay $100-200 each month to the insurance company, and you pay for the first $2,500 of medical expenses of the calendar year out-of-pocket (deductible). Then the insurance kicks in, after which you still have to pay 10-20% of the cost (co-pay). Only after you reach an out-of-pocket maximum (usually $4-5000) will insurance cover 100% of costs.

If your employer doesn't provide health insurance plans, good luck. I'm not sure how government insurance works for non-citizens.

[KathrynAragon]

In most (if not all) metro areas of Texas, the actual quality of healthcare is excellent. I live in the Tyler area and we have three major hospitals in this area, including a top notch trauma center, a department specializing in heart and stroke issues, and a research and development hospital (among other standard departments which offer excellent care as well).

It's our health care COSTS that are high (especially for those who are self employed - not necessarily for those who qualify for subsidies or who have plans that the employer pays nearly all the costs of). The actual care seems great to me. And many, in fact most, Texans (and Americans) have decent healthcare coverage which pays for the majority of the excellent healthcare available in the US - either via Medicare, Medicaid, the VA, group insurance offered through the employer at greatly reduced prices to the employee, etc. It's only a small percentage of the population (myself included in that percentage) who doesn't qualify for one of those plans, via age, lack of military service, or being self employed and in an income bracket that disqualifies one from government subsidies.

[Bradpaisley94]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Texas may have some of the lowest rates of healthcare insurance coverage but the quality of care provided to those with insurance is top rate, particularly in Houston which has one of the best medical centers in the world! Dallas, Austin, Lubbock, San Antonio, all have excellent quality of care.

Are you asking about healthcare insurance coverage? Or the quality of healthcare? Two very different things.

Wikipedia says that "...ranks the Texas Healthcare system the third worst in the nation", "ranks close to last in access to healthcare, quality of care, avoidable hospital spending, and equity among various Groups" and "Texas has highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world, and the rate by which Texas women died from pregnancy related complications doubled from 2010 to 2014, to 23.8 per 100,000. A rate unmatched in any other U.S. state or economically developed country".


So what do you get from that?

Originally Posted by Westerner92

OP is from Sweden, so they're likely not aware of how it works here.

To OP, the catch to American healthcare is that it is probably the best healthcare in the world IF you can afford it. Health insurance here really only protects from catastrophe and covers the cost of the occasional checkup.

It depends on what kind of plans your employer offers, but for a young, single, healthy person at a large company, the typical situation is that you pay $100-200 each month to the insurance company, and you pay for the first $2,500 of medical expenses of the calendar year out-of-pocket (deductible). Then the insurance kicks in, after which you still have to pay 10-20% of the cost (co-pay). Only after you reach an out-of-pocket maximum (usually $4-5000) will insurance cover 100% of costs.

If your employer doesn't provide health insurance plans, good luck. I'm not sure how government insurance works for non-citizens.

Thank you for a very good answer! That is correct, I do not know how it works in USA. Wow that is REALLY expensive! What if someone has a sickness so that he or she depend on expensive medicine, then he or she has to pay 5000 dollar out-of-pocket maximum + up to 2500 dollar per year to the insurance Company = up to 7500 dollar a year? That is insane!

Originally Posted by KathrynAragon

In most (if not all) metro areas of Texas, the actual quality of healthcare is excellent. I live in the Tyler area and we have three major hospitals in this area, including a top notch trauma center, a department specializing in heart and stroke issues, and a research and development hospital (among other standard departments which offer excellent care as well).

It's our health care COSTS that are high (especially for those who are self employed - not necessarily for those who qualify for subsidies or who have plans that the employer pays nearly all the costs of). The actual care seems great to me. And many, in fact most, Texans (and Americans) have decent healthcare coverage which pays for the majority of the excellent healthcare available in the US - either via Medicare, Medicaid, the VA, group insurance offered through the employer at greatly reduced prices to the employee, etc. It's only a small percentage of the population (myself included in that percentage) who doesn't qualify for one of those plans, via age, lack of military service, or being self employed and in an income bracket that disqualifies one from government subsidies.

What about what is says on wikipedia? And you only get excellent Healthcare if you have a LOT of Money?