TRS-ActiveCare: Regional Rating

Beginning Sept. 1, 2022, TRS will regionally rate TRS-ActiveCare plans

Last updated: Oct. 7, 2022.

Just like housing prices vary from city to city, medical costs vary from region to region. Starting in the 2022-23 plan year, TRS will regionally rate plans.

This gives employers the benefit of total premiums reflecting their regional cost of health care. And while pricing will be more localized, the safety net and stability will still be Texas-sized.

Regionally rating plans will help TRS continue to keep health care costs growth lower than similar employers. By ensuring we compete in the health care market, we're more likely to keep employers in TRS-ActiveCare. This helps keep our financial outlook stable.

Regionally rated plans will still access the entire risk pool of TRS-ActiveCare. So, if an employer has a high-cost claimant, the cost still spreads across over 420,000 participants. It won’t be limited to just participants within your district or region.

What Region Am I In?

If you’re an employer currently in TRS-ActiveCare, review the TRS-ActiveCare participating districts by Education Service Center list (pdf).

How Will it Work?

Regions will be determined by Educational Service Centers (ESCs). To learn how we’ll set regional rates, click below to watch our video introduction to regional ratings.

You can also review these materials:

ESC Regional Rating Policy

For the purposes of regional rating, TRS-ActiveCare groups employers using ESC region. This grouping was first established for the 2023 plan year beginning 9/1/2022. The following outlines the intent of TRS-ActiveCare regarding this assignment for subsequent years:

1. For Employers Participating in ActiveCare as of 9/1/2022:

The employers' rating region assignment will not change in subsequent years regardless of whether the employer chooses to change ESCs. The assignment for the purposes of regional rating will remain consistent with the employers ESC as of 10/4/2021*. This assignment can be found here.

2. For New Employers Entering ActiveCare After 9/1/2022

The employers' rating region will be assigned based on geographic ESC assignment. Please note this assignment is based on employer county and may be different from the ESC where the employer receives other services. This assignment is available on the TEA website.

3. For Employers that Exited ActiveCare After 9/1/2022 and are Re-Entering

*Skidmore Tynan ISD showed as Region 2 on TEA website but moved to region 3 prior to 10/4/2021. They were rated in region 2.