TRS ActiveCare Announces Benefit Changes, Rate Increase 2018-2019

The TRS Board of Trustees has adopted medical and pharmacy benefit changes to reduce a projected premium increase to 5.7 percent, instead of 7.2 percent. The main benefit changes were to add new freestanding emergency room (ER) copays and adjust specialist copays, deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket amounts.

TRS continues to see growth in the use of freestanding ERs, which leaves the health care program and its participants with high out-of-pocket costs for services that cost much less through urgent care centers, office visits and even ERs connected to hospitals. The separate, higher copay for freestanding ERs reflects these higher costs and pattern of this trend.

https://www.trs.texas.gov/Pages/healthcare_news_201804_activecare_new_rates.aspx