Abbott’s 'Keep Texas Affordable' plan: Lower housing costs, new health insurance plan

(The Center Square) – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott continues to tour the state highlighting part of his campaign platform to lower costs for Texans.

As part of his “Keep Texas Affordable” plan, he’s proposed measures to lower property taxes, housing and auto insurance, The Center Square reported.

The latest part of his affordability plan includes lower housing and medical costs, including through the creation of a new health insurance plan.

Abbott, who is running for his fourth term in office, is holding many campaign events in private homes, meeting with multiple families at a time.

After meeting with families in Round Rock, he announced his plan to lower housing costs and reduce housing regulations. At a pharmacy in the Texas border town of Mission, he announced a new health insurance plan and proposed capping copay costs for some medications.

Abbott’s plan to lower housing costs includes expanding reforms passed by the legislature last year, including prohibitions on local government restrictions and mandates.

“One thing that is driving up the cost of housing is local government regulations that undermine housing affordability reforms,” Abbott said. “Going forward, any city or county violating the law will have its sales tax revenue withheld, including those who skirted the housing reform laws I signed last session. We will also protect the right of Texans to build additions on their own property.”

Last year, the legislature passed bills to curtail municipalities from imposing housing restrictions on builders by acreage of lot size as well as a range of regulatory requirements like ceiling heights and parking lot sizes, The Center Square reported.

These laws are now in effect, but Abbott says more can be done. His plan includes additional prohibitions on local governments from imposing costly design mandates, luxury requirements and other unnecessary restrictions he says drive up housing costs. It also allows homeowners to add on and build additional structures on their property.

At an event in Mission, the governor met with families and pharmacists to announce his plan to lower healthcare costs in Texas.

One key aspect of his proposal is to reduce health insurance premiums through a new “Essential Benefits Health Insurance Plan.” He says he’ll work with the legislature to authorize the creation of a more affordable insurance plan for Texas employers to cover essential healthcare needs. Under the new plan, premiums could drop by nearly 20%, saving Texas families nearly $1,150 and small businesses up to $3,400 per employee a year, he says.

“Healthcare costs comprise a substantial portion of every family’s budget. That’s because many health plans are weighed down by an excess of expensive health insurance mandates, which translate to higher premiums for hard working Texans,” he said. His plan would reduce premiums and create greater access to coverage, he argues.

He also proposed capping monthly copays for inhalers and epinephrine to $25. The cap could save Texans at least $120 on inhalers and at least $650 on epinephrine annually, his campaign says.

“No Texan should have to choose between buying groceries and paying for life-saving medication,” he said. “By capping the price of inhalers and epinephrine at just $25, millions of Texans can keep more of their hard-earned money and feel real relief. Our mission is simple: lower the cost of living in Texas for generations to come.”

Another way he is working to reduce costs is to address fraud. Abbott has directed multiple state agencies to investigate potential Medicaid fraud as well as “birth tourism” fraud, The Center Square reported.

State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, who is running against Abbott, argues, “For over a decade, Greg Abbott has made it easier for billionaires to profit while hardworking Texans struggle to afford groceries, housing, and healthcare.”

She also argues, “Texas has the highest number of uninsured people and the most rural hospital closures in the country. If Greg Abbott wanted to lower healthcare costs for Texans, he would've done it in the twelve years he's been Governor.”

In response, Wade Miller, executive director of the Center for Renewing America, said, “Title I Obamacare mandates make it functionally impossible for a Governor to lower healthcare costs meaningfully for families. If you want to blame healthcare costs on someone, you are going to have to point a finger at a Democrat.” Removing Affordable Care Act mandates will reduce healthcare costs, he argues.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation has proposed eliminating PBMs (pharmacy benefit management insurance middlemen) to reduce healthcare costs. PBMs and network restrictions both increase healthcare costs and limit access to affordable care, TPPF argues. Allowing direct access and cash-price healthcare models would improve price transparency and significantly reduce costs for medication, imaging, lab tests, surgeries and medical devices and services, it argues.

The leaders of the Texas Senate and House have identified improving healthcare affordability as a legislative priority, The Center Square reported. State legislative committees have already begun holding interim hearings on the issue ahead of the legislative session beginning in January.