Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has proposed a plan to lower health insurance costs for small businesses and their employees by eliminating dozens of state mandates. According to the Texas Association of Health Plans, insurance premiums for small businesses in Texas are increasing by 15-20% in 2026, which is 36-82% above the national average.

Abbott’s Proposal

Abbott’s proposal would reduce the cost of health insurance for a family of four by more than $1,000 a year and cut the expense of healthcare insurance for employers by about 20% a year. He claims this would add more than a million more Texans to health insurance rolls across the state. The health insurance policies offered would still cover the necessities, Abbott said.

Vicki Cisneros, owner of the Tex-Mex restaurant Los Vaqueros, told Abbott that about 90% of their employees had insurance in the past, but now only about 10% have insurance due to the rising cost. Abbott’s Democratic opponent, Gina Hinojosa, criticized Abbott’s proposal, saying that if he really wanted to lower healthcare costs, he would have done so in the 12 years since he began serving as governor.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.