Health insurance in Texas
Texas uses HealthCare.gov and has not expanded Medicaid, which leaves the largest coverage gap in the country. If you're in it and in good health, an underwritten private plan is frequently the only affordable route — and it's the one nobody mentions.
What I look at first in Texas
- Where your income lands decides everything. Above the Medicaid line but under the subsidy line is the hard place, and it is the one a medically underwritten private plan is built for.
- Your income estimate for next year, not last year. Your subsidy is built on what you expect to earn, and a stale figure is the most expensive mistake on this page.
- The doctors and prescriptions you are not willing to lose. Networks change every plan year, so I check yours before you enroll, not after.
Outside Open Enrollment you need a qualifying life event to start a Marketplace plan — losing other coverage, moving, marriage, a birth, turning 26. Medicaid and CHIP have no window at all, so those you can apply for any day of the year.
Health insurance across Texas
I work with clients in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and Fort Worth and everywhere else in Texas, by phone, text or video, in English or Spanish. You get the same broker on the first call and at renewal.
- People leaving a job who were just quoted COBRA.
- Self-employed and 1099 workers in Texas: contractors, realtors, mechanics, salon and beauty professionals, and anyone whose income moves.
- Nurses and travel clinicians who need coverage that works on assignment in Texas and beyond.
- Families who want to keep their doctors and stop overpaying for coverage they don't use.
- Small business owners comparing a group plan with ICHRA or QSEHRA.
Texas health insurance questions
Where do I buy health insurance in Texas?
Texas uses the federal Marketplace, HealthCare.gov. I'm certified to enroll you there with every subsidy applied, and I also compare private plans sold outside the Marketplace, so you see both sides before you choose.
Did Texas expand Medicaid?
No. Texas has not expanded Medicaid, so many adults without children don't qualify however low their income is, and Marketplace subsidies only start at 100% of the federal poverty level. Children may still qualify for Medicaid or CHIP. If you land in that gap, we look at the lowest-cost options that actually fit you.
When is Open Enrollment in Texas for 2027?
Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027. Choose a plan by December 15 for coverage starting January 1. Outside that window you need a qualifying life event, while Medicaid and CHIP accept applications all year.
Does it cost more to use a broker in Texas?
No. Brokers are paid by the insurance carrier, and your premium is the same whether you enroll with me or on your own. The consultation and quotes are free.
Where these facts come from
Marketplace type is published by CMS for plan year 2027. Medicaid expansion status is tracked by healthinsurance.org. Open Enrollment dates are HealthCare.gov’s. Which carriers and which plan types I can place in Texas depends on my appointments there, so I tell you that on the call rather than guessing at it here.