Private Health Plans for the Self-Employed in Texas

I am an independent, licensed health insurance broker, and I am licensed in Texas. If you are self-employed, a 1099 contractor, or a freelancer, this page covers the options that sit outside the Marketplace — what is actually available in Texas, what the trade-offs are, and when a private plan is the wrong answer. There is no fee for my help. The insurance company pays the broker, not you.

Texas law allows short-term plans to run up to 36 months including renewals — one of the longest limits in the country.

Texas at a glance for the self-employed

Texas has the second-largest individual market in the country, with nearly 4.2 million Texans choosing a Marketplace plan for 2026. Texans shop on HealthCare.gov, where 16 carriers sold plans for 2026. That drops to 14 for 2027 as Cigna and Baylor Scott & White leave.

• Gold can cost less than Silver. Starting in 2026, Texas requires insurers to load extra cost onto Silver plans. For people paying full price, that often makes a Gold plan cheaper than a Silver plan with the same carrier. It is one of the first things I check for self-employed Texans over the subsidy line.
• 2027 rates. Carriers proposed an average increase of about 13% for 2027, ranging from about 1% to 31% depending on the company.
• Married and self-employed? In Texas a business with two employees, such as a married couple who both work in it, may qualify for small group coverage. Options for business owners.
• Texas Farm Bureau Health Plans. A 2021 state law allows Farm Bureau health plans in Texas. They require a membership, ask health questions, and are not regulated as insurance, so they can decline or exclude conditions.
• No Medicaid expansion. About 605,000 Texans are in the coverage gap, earning too little for a tax credit but not eligible for Medicaid.

The 400% line matters more here than most people expect. For 2027 the credit stops above $63,840 for one person and $132,000 for a family of four, and there is no phase-out. See the full 2027 income limits.

Your private options in Texas

• Short-term plans. Texas allows short-term coverage for up to 36 months including renewals. That length makes them tempting, but they usually exclude pre-existing conditions and often leave out prescriptions and maternity, so read the benefit summary line by line.
• Check Gold before Silver. Texas lets insurers load extra cost onto Silver plans, so a full-price shopper can often get a Gold plan for less.
• Texas Farm Bureau Health Plans. Allowed since a 2021 state law. Membership required, health questions asked, and not regulated as insurance.
• Medically underwritten private plans. Health questions up front, often lower premiums for healthy applicants, broad PPO networks, and applications accepted any month.
• Supplemental coverage. Accident, critical-illness and hospital plans can soften a high deductible. How it works.

When private is the right call in Texas, and when it is not

With 14 carriers on HealthCare.gov for 2027 and proposed 2027 increases averaging about 13%, a healthy Texas freelancer or business owner over the subsidy line often saves real money with a private plan.

Stay with HealthCare.gov if you have an ongoing condition, are pregnant or planning to be, take expensive prescriptions, or qualify for a meaningful tax credit. If that is you, I will say so.

The tax piece

Most self-employed people can deduct their health insurance premiums, which also lowers the income that counts toward a subsidy. How it works for 1099 workers.

Texas questions I hear a lot

Why is a Gold plan sometimes cheaper than Silver in Texas?

Texas requires insurers to add extra cost to Silver plans starting in 2026. If you pay full price with no subsidy, a Gold plan can end up costing less than Silver, with better coverage.

Can my spouse and I get a small group plan for our Texas business?

In Texas, a business with two employees, including a married couple who both work in it, may qualify for small group coverage. I can price that next to individual and private options.

What are Texas Farm Bureau Health Plans?

Membership-based health plans allowed under a 2021 Texas law. They are medically underwritten and not regulated as insurance, so approval is not guaranteed and conditions can be excluded.

Which carriers are leaving the Texas Marketplace for 2027?

Cigna and Baylor Scott & White are leaving at the end of 2026, which takes Texas from 16 Marketplace carriers to 14.

Posey Health Solutions · National Producer Number 20609967 · licensed in Texas and 30 other states. This page is general information, not advice about a specific plan, and it is not tax advice. Plan availability, carrier participation, and duration limits vary by county, carrier, and plan year, and the rules can change.