Ascension will no longer offer health insurance plans to Texans starting on January 1, 2025.
Ascension operates hospitals in various U.S. states, including several in Central Texas. It also offers several insurance plans on the Affordable Care Act Marketplace under the banner of Ascension Personalized Care. The plans are offered through U.S. Health and Life Insurance Company, which is owned by Ascension.
However, policyholders in Texas received notices this week that Ascension Personalized Care would no longer offer coverage after the year ends.
A spokesperson for Ascension said the decision to end Ascension Personalized Care coverage in Texas was not related to the ransomware attack that hit the health care system in May, but did not immediately offer an explanation for the change. KUT previously reported that the ransomware attack had caused issues with billing and claims processing for Ascension Personalized Care plans.
Ascension representatives also did not confirm whether policyholders in states other than Texas would lose coverage.
Texans currently enrolled in Ascension Personalized Care will have the opportunity to enroll in a new insurance plan during the 2025 Open Enrollment period, which begins in November.
A representative for the Texas Department of Insurance said that U.S. Health and Life Insurance Company filed a withdrawal plan in April alerting the state agency that its health plans would end on Dec. 31.
“If you get a notice of nonrenewal, we’d encourage you to start researching other health plans right away and plan on making a selection before your current coverage ends,” said Ben Gonzalez, a communications representative for the department.
