BY HALEY VELASCO
Another viewpoint
Going forward
Cost of health insurance for Friendswood, Pearland ISD employees
Employer FISD Employee PISD
For employers such as Friendswood ISD, one of the largest employers in Friendswood, o cials have seen “double-digit percentage increases” in health insurance premiums over the past two years, FISD’s Bene ts and Leave Coordinator Callie Rhodes said in an email May 19. Both FISD and Pearland ISD use the Teacher Retirement System, or TRS, of Texas. For FISD, o cials have “limited exibility” in controlling employee health insurance costs, Rhodes said. “Because plan options and base premiums are established through TRS, districts cannot negoti- ate directly with insurers, and available funding resources must also be carefully considered,” Rhodes said. Last school year, FISD explored alternatives by going out for bid to evaluate whether opting out of TRS ActiveCare would be more suitable for employees. However, the proposals had “higher costs and less competitive coverage,” Rhodes said.
While a few recent policies were enacted to lower health insurance costs, legislators are seeking additional national measures.
$225
$192
$300
$117
No Surprises Act • Protects patients from surprise out-of-network billing • Status: enacted in 2022; patients should watch for unexpected out-of-network charges after emergency treatment or hospital visits and verify disputed bills with insurers or providers. In ation Reduction Act • Lets Medicare negotiate prices for select high-cost prescription drugs (starting 2026) • Status: enacted in 2022; Medicare patients should review prescription bills and pharmacy charges to ensure insulin and annual out-of-pocket costs comply with federal caps. ACA Premium Tax Credit Extension • Extends expanded ACA subsidies that lower marketplace premiums • Status: House has passed extension version, competing bills stalled in Senate Fix It Act • Extends enhanced ACA premium tax credits temporarily (typically 1-2 years) to prevent sudden premium increases • Adds income limits or adjustments to target subsidies toward lower- and middle-income enrollees • Status: stalled in Congress Pharmacy Bene t Manager Reform Bills • Aims to regulate pharmacy bene it managers that negotiate drug prices between insurers, pharmacies and manufacturers • Status: actively debated in Congress with bipartisan interest
$245
$150
$300
$95
$245
$187
$300
$132
$295
$176
$337
$134
$295
$212
$337
$170
NOTE: EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE BASED ON THE "EMPLOYEE ONLY" PLAN
SOURCE: FRIENDSWOOD ISD PEARLAND ISD TRS ACTIVECARE COMMUNITY IMPACT
Zooming out
$26,993
$25,572
National average annual premium costs for all plan types (family coverage) With family coverage, the national average
$23,968
annual health insurance premium cost has risen by over 21%, data from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows.
$22,463
+ 21.48% over the past 5 years
$22,221
SOURCE: KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
SOURCE: CONGRESS.GOV COMMUNITY IMPACT
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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD MANVEL EDITION
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