Health Insurance When Moving to Texas
Moving to Texas means your old health plan's network probably will not follow you. The fastest fix for a healthy person is often a private plan, which can start the first of any month if approved, without waiting for a qualifying-event review. Texas Marketplace premiums are rising 13.1% to 14.1% on average for 2027.
Private health insurance in Texas
Most people I help in Texas end up on a private plan, not a Marketplace plan. Private, medically underwritten health insurance is priced on your age, zip code and health instead of your income, so a strong year never raises your premium and there is no tax credit to pay back in April.
Why people leave the Marketplace
- Premiums keep climbing. Texas Marketplace premiums are rising 13.1% to 14.1% on average for 2027.
- The subsidy cliff. Above 400 percent of the poverty level ($63,840 for one person, $132,000 for a family of four) you pay full price.
- Surprise tax bills. Underestimate your income and you repay the tax credit in April.
- Narrow networks. Many plans are local HMOs or EPOs that need referrals and cover little outside the area.
- High out-of-pocket costs. 2027 out-of-pocket maximums reach $12,000 per person and $24,000 per family.
- One window a year. Outside open enrollment you need a qualifying life event to enroll or switch.
What a private plan does differently
- Start any month. If approved, coverage can begin the first of next month, with no wait for open enrollment.
- Networks that travel. Many private plans use national PPO networks, which can give you in-network doctors outside Texas too. Networks vary by plan.
- Can cost less than full-price Marketplace plans for some healthy applicants above the subsidy line.
- Accident coverage the Marketplace does not offer. A private plan can be paired with accident coverage, a separate policy. What it includes varies by plan.
- Approval is based on health. You answer health questions, and acceptance is not guaranteed.
With a significant health condition, or income low enough for a large tax credit, a Marketplace plan can be the better fit, and I will tell you if it is. Either way you see both side by side.
Private plans are not ACA Marketplace plans. Benefits, exclusions and pre-existing condition rules differ by plan and by state, so review the plan details before you enroll.
Get a private plan quoteLearn more: coverage not based on income · how underwriting works · private vs Obamacare · PPO plans for individuals · switching from the Marketplace
Who is moving to Texas
Texas gained about 67,300 residents from other states between July 2024 and July 2025, according to Census estimates, second only to North Carolina, though well below the 218,800 it gained in 2022. The 2024 American Community Survey shows California as the largest source of new Texans, about 77,000 people, followed by Florida, New York, Louisiana and Illinois. Austin was the fastest-growing large metro at about 2.1 percent, while Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth each added more than 120,000 people in a single year.
Getting covered after you move to Texas
Texas has no exchange of its own, so new Texans apply on HealthCare.gov with their Texas address. The state divides the individual market into 27 rating areas built from counties, which is why the same plan design can be priced one way in Houston and another in El Paso, Austin or Dallas-Fort Worth. A move to a new county inside Texas can change options too. Californians make up the largest group of new arrivals, about 77,000 in 2024, and should expect different networks than they had at home. The Department of Public Safety expects a Texas license within 90 days.
The Texas individual market at a glance
Texas buyers use HealthCare.gov, and the state has the second-largest Marketplace in the country with about 15 insurers filing for 2027. Texas requires insured group plans to offer state continuation, nine months for people without COBRA rights and six more months after COBRA ends, at the group rate plus 2 percent, though self-funded employer plans are exempt. Texas defines short-term plans by the federal rule rather than its own limit. Final 2027 individual increases average about 13 to 14 percent, with small-group plans up about 17 percent, which makes individual coverage reimbursement worth a look for small Texas employers.
Other Texas rules to know
- Short-term plans: Texas defines short-term plans by reference to the federal rules, which set a three-month initial term and four months in total; federal agencies are not prioritizing enforcement of that limit while new rules are written.
- Where to enroll: Texas uses HealthCare.gov. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Private, medically underwritten plans can start the first of any month if approved.
- 2027 rates: individual plans 13.1% to 14.1% on average, small-group plans about 16.9%. See the Texas 2027 rate page.
The moving special enrollment period
A permanent move to a new state usually opens a 60-day Marketplace special enrollment period, but only if you had qualifying coverage for at least one day in the 60 days before the move. Without that prior coverage, you may have to wait for open enrollment.
Why many movers go private
A private, medically underwritten plan does not need a qualifying event, can start the first of any month if approved and is priced on health, not income. Many use national PPO networks, which help while you are still traveling between your old and new homes. Private plans are not Marketplace plans, so review the benefits and pre-existing condition rules.
Keep coverage continuous
Do not cancel your old plan until the new one starts. A one-month gap can cost far more than an overlapping premium.
For 2027 the Marketplace credit stops at 400 percent of the poverty level: $63,840 for one person, $86,560 for two and $132,000 for a family of four. The out-of-pocket maximum for 2027 Marketplace plans is $12,000 for one person and $24,000 for a family. The full guide covers the rest.
Compare Texas plans
Licensed in Texas. Private plans priced first, Marketplace alongside when it fits. No fee.
Texas questions
Where do Texas residents enroll in 2027 coverage?
Texas uses HealthCare.gov. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027.
What continuation rights does Texas give after leaving a small employer?
Texas requires insured group plans to offer state continuation for up to nine months to people not eligible for COBRA, or six more months after COBRA ends, at the group rate plus 2 percent. It does not apply to self-funded employer plans.
How much are Texas premiums rising for 2027?
Individual-market premiums are set to rise 13.1% to 14.1% on average, and small-group plans about 16.9%.
Does moving to a new state let me change health insurance?
Usually. A permanent move opens a 60-day Marketplace special enrollment period if you had qualifying coverage in the 60 days before the move. If approved, private plans can start any month regardless.
Can I keep my old state's health plan after I move?
Individual plans are sold by state and area, so most will not work well after a permanent move, apart from emergencies. Plan to switch soon after you arrive.
Sources: census.gov, www.census.gov, www.cms.gov, www.dps.texas.gov. Facts checked October 2026. See all Texas health insurance rules.
Moving here in other states
Written by Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance agent in Texas and 30 other states, NPN 21032307.