State reviews health insurance hikes, lacks authority to halt them
Under the 2010 federal health care reform law, Texas is reviewing medical insurance companies' rate increases of at least 10 percent to determine whether they are justified, but even if reviewers find a problem, they have no way of heading it off or even letting the public know about it.
"There is nothing the state can do to stop that rate from going into effect," said Stacey Pogue, a policy analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities, which advocates for low- and middle-income Texans.
During the last session, the GOP-controlled Legislature talked a lot about killing President Barack Obama's health care overhaul and expended very little energy trying to make sure that state agencies were ready to implement the massive new measure. Plus, there was much confusion about the details of the law.
So, with all the ambiguity and the Legislature's lack of attention, the Texas Department of Insurance was left without the specific authority to deny excessive health insurance rate increases. And when the review provision took effect five months ago, the agency did not create a system to publicize big rate jumps.
http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/state-reviews-health-insurance-hikes-lacks-authority-to-2152412.html
The Texas Legislature and by extension, the Republicans leading state government failed us again. 
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Their way of killing the federal health care act. Texas is always this way. The only way they act is if they are forced to do it by federal law - through the courts.
Failure = republican rule. Same as it ever was, same as it ever was....
States don't have rights, they have powers.
The 9th Amendment gives rights not already mentioned in the earlier amendments to the people,
The 10th amendment says that all powers that have not been granted to Congress are reserved to the states and the people, respectively
Though I don't have a lot of respect for most states, it is clear that people have rights and powers. States only have powers. And the State of Texas has the power to regulate. They are just to fucking lazy to get out of bed with the insurance companies to exercise their police powers.