Three things that changed for 2027
This is not a normal year. If the last time you thought about your Marketplace plan was a couple of years ago, the rules are different now.
Dates you need for 2027
Texas uses the federal Marketplace, so these are the dates that apply here.
Outside those dates you can still enroll if you have a qualifying life event: losing job coverage, marriage or divorce, a birth or adoption, moving to a new county or state, or your carrier leaving the market. You usually have 60 days.
What the Texas market looks like
Texas has the largest Marketplace enrollment in the country. These are the published figures for the 2026 plan year, not a prediction of what you'll pay.
- 4.2 million Texans selected a plan for 2026
- Nearly 92% received an advance premium tax credit, averaging $667 a month
- The average net premium was $89 a month, up from $57 in 2025
- 14 insurance companies are offering plans for 2027, down from 16
These are statewide averages, not a quote. What you pay depends on your income, household size, age and county. Anyone who promises you a price before looking at your information isn't being straight with you, and that includes me.
A Texas quirk worth knowing
Texas requires insurers to add a 40% load to Silver plans. Because the tax credit is calculated from the second-lowest-cost Silver plan in your county, that surcharge inflates everyone's credit. The result is that in many Texas counties a Gold plan costs less per month than a Silver plan, with better coverage.
One catch. If your income is under 250% of the federal poverty level, you qualify for cost-sharing reductions that lower your deductible and copays. That benefit only exists on Silver plans. Moving to Gold or Bronze loses it, even if the premium looks better.
How I can help
I review which carriers operate in your county, check that your doctors and prescriptions are actually covered, calculate the tax credit you'd get on each option, and stay available after you enroll, when your income changes or when it's time to renew.
My help doesn't cost you anything. A licensed agent is paid a commission by the insurance company, and that commission is already built into the plan price. Your premium is the same whether you use an agent or not. What changes is having someone to call when something goes wrong.
Everything I do is in plain language, and you can reach me in English or Spanish. The rest of this site is in Spanish, and you're welcome to use it: go to the Spanish site.
Official resources
These are free and run by the federal government:
- HealthCare.gov, the official federal Marketplace
- 1-800-318-2596, the official call center, open 24 hours a day. TTY: 1-855-889-4325
- localhelp.healthcare.gov, the official tool to find licensed agents and navigators near you
- YourTexasBenefits.com or 2-1-1 for Texas Medicaid and CHIP
Sources: enrollment figures, average credits and net premiums from healthinsurance.org, Texas marketplace, updated August 27, 2026, using public CMS and Texas Department of Insurance filings. Open Enrollment dates confirmed by CMS on August 4, 2026 regarding City of Columbus v. Kennedy. The federal government has appealed and oral arguments are set for late October, so these dates are re-verified before November 1. Verified September 4, 2026.
