Texas health insurance premiums rose 40 percent in 5 years

[douglas9]

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) -- As if skyrocketing gas prices were not enough, a recent study has found that insurance companies are bleeding Texas bank accounts.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said Texans saw health insurance premiums jump 40 percent in five years. That's 10 times faster than the increase in Texas income.

Texans have the third-highest premiums in the nation. Experts said that is because the state has the highest number of uninsured people in the country.

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http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=8246003&nav=menu73_2_12

[sonias]

1. Only Oklahoma and Idaho have higher insurance premiums

I'm surprised at those two states having higher premiums than Texas. That means Mississippi and Louisiana, our usual bottom of the barrel neighbors, have lower premiums than Texas.

And it's not just health insurance - home insurance rates are also the highest

San Antonio Express 4/25/08
Perry frustrated with pace of insurance reform

"We are still more than double the national average. This was the case back in 2003 and continues to be the case today," said Alex Winslow, director of Texas Watch, a consumer advocacy group that tracks the industry.

The average Texas homeowner pays about $1,250 for insurance coverage, Winslow said, compared to the national average of between $600-700 per year.

Failure of leadership in the Texas Legislature! :grr:


Sonia