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TRS Health Plans Stay with Current Carriers After Competitive Bid Review

The Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) announced the same trusted medical health care carriers will continue serving our members, pending successful negotiations of contracts. After evaluating competitive bids from major carriers, TRS intends to keep all current medical plan administrators in place.

TRS’ competitive procurement process reflects TRS’ commitment to securing high-quality, cost-effective health coverage on behalf of Texas public education employees and retirees.

  • Your TRS health plans and carriers will remain the same, as follows, pending successful negotiations of contracts:

    For active employees (TRS-ActiveCare):

    • TRS-ActiveCare will continue with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) as the medical plan administrator.

       

    For retirees (TRS-Care):

    • TRS-Care Standard will remain with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX).
    • TRS-Care Medicare Advantage will remain with UnitedHealthcare. 

Members will keep their current carriers, provider networks, and the strong plan structures they are familiar with. 

Why TRS goes out for bid

At least every six years, TRS conducts a competitive procurement process for its medical health plans. This is a core strategy TRS uses to:

  • Promote affordability: Keep costs lower than comparable large plans where possible.
  • Strengthen negotiating power: Use the size of TRS programs to secure favorable contracts.
  • Maintain high quality: Ensure plans remain competitive in benefits, networks, and service. 

What TRS evaluated

During the yearlong procurement process, TRS conducted an evaluation, including a review of:

  • Provider discounts and network strength;
  • Operational support and customer service capabilities;
  • Communications and member support resources; and
  • How well each bidder could meet the needs of active employees and retirees. 

What this means for you

Because of TRS’ careful management of the health fund and its strategic procurement approach:

  • TRS-ActiveCare costs have grown at about half the rate of other comparable, large self-insured plans.
  • TRS-Care Standard premiums have remained unchanged since 2018, providing stability for retirees that is rare in the health care market.
  • TRS-Care Medicare Advantage premiums were lowered by about 45% in 2025 and remain low in 2026.

Keeping the same carriers after a competitive bid means the current administrators continue to bring strong value — both in terms of cost and quality of coverage. 

Learn more in the TRS Health Annual Report

TRS has published the 2025 TRS Health Annual Report, which provides:

  • Detailed financial information for TRS-ActiveCare and TRS-Care
  • Funding dynamics and long-term sustainability insights
  • Benchmarking against other large health plans

The report offers a transparent look at how TRS manages your health programs and works to keep them strong for the long term.

TRS’ goal is simple: use its size and expertise to negotiate on behalf of members, so Texas public education employees, retirees, and their families can access top tier health coverage with as much stability and affordability as possible.