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Central Texas · Texas

Affordable Healthcare in Austin and Central Texas

Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, San Marcos, Killeen, Temple, Waco and Bryan–College Station. Tech freelancers, small businesses, and a Marketplace insurer that's leaving.

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  • Free, no obligation
  • Not an insurance agency
  • Honest about the limits
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Who needs care?

Answer 6 quick questions to see what Direct Primary Care plus health sharing could cost your household.

Buying your own plan in Austin & Central Texas

Central Texas has a lot of people who buy their own plan: freelancers and startup staff in Austin, small-business owners along I-35, and contractors in the fast-growing towns between Austin and Waco. Texas individual-plan prices rose about 34.7% on average for 2026 (source).

This region also has a 2027 change to plan for. Baylor Scott & White and Cigna are leaving the Texas Marketplace at the end of 2026 (source). If your plan is one of theirs, you'll need to choose a new one for 2027.

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Cities we help in Austin & Central Texas

  • Austin · Travis County
    Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas, St. David's Medical Center and Ascension Seton hospitals.
  • Round Rock and Georgetown · Williamson County
    Northern suburbs with St. David's and Baylor Scott & White hospitals; many tech and startup workers.
  • San Marcos and Kyle · Hays County
    One of the fastest-growing corridors in the state, between Austin and San Antonio.
  • Killeen and Harker Heights · Bell County
    Next to Fort Cavazos; many military families and veterans.
  • Temple · Bell County
    Home of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center–Temple, one of the region's largest hospitals.
  • Waco · McLennan County
    Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest and Ascension Providence serve the city.
  • Bryan and College Station · Brazos County
    Texas A&M's home, with St. Joseph Health and Baylor Scott & White hospitals.

Don't see your town? We help anywhere in Texas. Tell us where you are.

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Outline simplified. This region is highlighted; tap another region's city to open its guide.

If your Marketplace plan is leaving for 2027

When an insurer leaves the Marketplace, its members have to pick a new plan during open enrollment, which runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, with December 15 the deadline for a January 1 start (source). Check HealthCare.gov for your options, because a new plan may have a different network and different doctors.

That moment is a good time to compare everything, including the alternatives. Health sharing doesn't use a network, so you can keep seeing the doctors and hospitals you know as a self-pay patient. But it isn't insurance, it phases in pre-existing conditions, and sharing isn't guaranteed. For many households a new Marketplace plan is still the right answer.

We don't sell insurance and can't tell you which Marketplace plan to choose. We can show you what the alternative would cost, so you can put the two side by side.

Who it fits here, and who should stay on insurance

Usually a good fit: healthy individuals and families who buy their own plan, self-employed people, early retirees under 65, and households whose income is too high for much Marketplace help.

Usually better on insurance: anyone who qualifies for Texas Medicaid or CHIP, anyone with a serious ongoing condition who needs it paid for in year one, anyone planning a pregnancy in the next nine months, anyone who needs regular mental-health therapy, and anyone whose tax credit makes an ACA plan cheap.

In this region specifically: Military retirees with TRICARE near Fort Cavazos usually don't need anything here. If you served but didn't retire, your spouse and children generally aren't covered by TRICARE, so they may need their own plan.

Not sure which side you're on? Tell us about your household or call (214) 307-8614.

Illustrative example · October 2026

Austin freelance designer couple, oldest 36

$426.28 /month

Member + spouse, oldest member 30–39, $2,500 Initial Unshareable Amount per Need, non-tobacco. Combined medical cost sharing + virtual primary care membership. Optional dental savings plan from $8.95/month. Not a quote; your amount depends on your household.

See the full price table →

Questions we hear from this region

My Baylor Scott & White Marketplace plan is ending. What should I do?

Choose a new plan at HealthCare.gov during open enrollment (Nov 1, 2026 to Jan 15, 2027; by Dec 15 for a Jan 1 start). If you also want to compare the alternatives, we'll show you the prices and the limits. We don't sell insurance.

Can I keep seeing my Baylor Scott & White or St. David's doctors with health sharing?

Yes, as a self-pay patient. Health sharing doesn't use a network. Ask the practice for its self-pay prices, and remember routine visits aren't shared, which is why we pair sharing with a primary care membership.

Is this health insurance?

No. Health care sharing and direct primary care are alternatives to insurance. Sharing is voluntary and not guaranteed, and it isn't Minimum Essential Coverage. Texas has no state penalty for going without insurance.

Other regions: Dallas–Fort Worth · Houston & the Gulf Coast · San Antonio & the Hill Country · South Texas & the Rio Grande Valley · West Texas & El Paso · the Panhandle & South Plains · East Texas

Read more: every option compared · what it costs · health sharing in Texas · direct primary care

Written and reviewed by Graham Kerswell. Last updated October 19, 2026. Facts and prices are checked against the sources named on this page.

Sources

Compare your options in Austin & Central Texas

Tell us who needs care and what you pay now. We'll walk you through the options, including when insurance is the better fit.

Get my optionsCall (214) 307-8614

Free, no obligation. Texas households only.

Health care sharing
Health care sharing ministries are not insurance and are not regulated as insurance. Sharing of medical expenses is voluntary and not guaranteed. Review each organization's guidelines for details, limitations, and state-specific notices.

Texas notice (Texas Insurance Code § 1681.002)
Texas law requires a health care sharing ministry to give this notice on or with its applications and guideline materials: “Notice: This health care sharing ministry facilitates the sharing of medical expenses and is not an insurance company, and neither its guidelines nor its plan of operation is an insurance policy. Whether anyone chooses to assist you with your medical bills will be totally voluntary because no other participant will be compelled by law to contribute toward your medical bills. As such, participation in the ministry or a subscription to any of its documents should never be considered to be insurance. Regardless of whether you receive any payment for medical expenses or whether this ministry continues to operate, you are always personally responsible for the payment of your own medical bills. Complaints concerning this health care sharing ministry may be reported to the office of the Texas attorney general.” Health care sharing is not Minimum Essential Coverage.

Direct primary care
Direct primary care is a membership with a primary care practice. Under Texas law (Texas Occupations Code § 162.253), a direct primary care medical service agreement is not health or accident insurance and is not regulated by the Texas Department of Insurance. A DPC membership does not pay for specialists, hospital care or emergencies, and it is not Minimum Essential Coverage.

Discount plans
THIS PLAN IS NOT INSURANCE and is not intended to replace health insurance. A discount health care program is NOT insurance (Texas Insurance Code ch. 562). It provides discounts at participating providers and does not make payments to providers; the member pays the entire discounted rate. The program does not guarantee the quality of the services or products offered by individual providers. Discount program operator: Careington International Corporation, 7400 Gaylord Parkway, Frisco, TX 75034. Discount plans are not ACA Qualified Health Plans.

How we're paid
We may receive compensation from some organizations we recommend. This does not change our evaluation of how they work. See our Referral Marketing Disclosure.

Not advice
This page is general information, not medical, legal, tax or financial advice. Prices are examples, not quotes; they depend on your household and can change. Affordable Healthcare Texas is not an insurance agency and does not sell insurance. We help individuals and families explore alternatives to insurance, including direct primary care, health care sharing and discount plans.