Texas Adults Skip Needed Care

Texas shows why adults skip needed care: time off, travel, and fear matter, but experts said cost remained the barrier shaping access most.
A survey helps explain Texas: ~75% of uninsured adults skipped needed care because of cost in the past 12 mo, versus ~37% of insured adults.
Current rankings placed Texas second for adults avoiding doctor visits at ~18%, while the state also posted the nation’s lowest health insurance enrollment.
An expert said many Texans kept coverage but downgraded plans this year; moves from gold to silver or bronze plans had quadrupled.
That trend pointed to underinsurance in Texas: people kept coverage, but higher copays and deductibles still discouraged doctor visits and weakened access to primary care.
An expert said wider coverage alone would not fix Texas access problems unless costs came under control, because an insurance card does not guarantee care.