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Healthcare in Texas

Texas has the third-largest physician workforce in the nation with approximately 71,000 active physicians, yet its per capita rate of just 240 per 100,000 falls well below the national average due to the state's enormous and rapidly growing population of nearly 30 million. The Texas Medical Center in Houston is the largest medical complex in the world, encompassing MD Anderson Cancer Center (the nation's top-ranked cancer hospital), Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, and dozens of other institutions. UT Southwestern in Dallas is another nationally elite academic medical center. Despite these extraordinary resources, Texas has the highest number and rate of uninsured residents in the nation, and vast rural areas, particularly in West Texas, the Rio Grande Valley, and East Texas, face severe physician shortages. The state has 11 medical schools and has been aggressively expanding medical education to address workforce needs. Texas has not expanded Medicaid, and the uninsured crisis significantly impacts healthcare access for millions of residents. Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin serve as the major healthcare hubs. The state's enormous geographic size means patients in remote areas may travel hundreds of miles for specialty care. Community health centers and telehealth programs are essential for extending care to underserved populations.