Home › Where We Help › East Texas

East Texas · Texas

Affordable Healthcare in East Texas

Tyler, Longview, Texarkana, Lufkin, Nacogdoches and Marshall. Piney Woods towns where many families ask about Christian health sharing.

See my optionsCall (214) 307-8614
  • Free, no obligation
  • Not an insurance agency
  • Honest about the limits
Healthcare AssessmentStep 1 of 6
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 East Texas

East Texas families who buy their own plan have seen the same price jumps as the rest of the state: about 34.7% on average for 2026 before any tax credit, and more than half a million Texans didn't come back to the Marketplace for 2026 (source) (source).

Many of the East Texas households who call us are small-business owners, timber, oil-and-gas and manufacturing contractors, and church families who've heard about health sharing from friends.

Compare my options

Cities we help in East Texas

  • Tyler · Smith County
    UT Health East Texas and CHRISTUS Mother Frances hospitals; the region's medical center.
  • Longview · Gregg County
    CHRISTUS Good Shepherd and Longview Regional Medical Center.
  • Texarkana · Bowie County
    On the Arkansas line, with CHRISTUS St. Michael and Wadley Regional Medical Center.
  • Lufkin · Angelina County
    Timber and manufacturing town with a regional hospital.
  • Nacogdoches · Nacogdoches County
    Home of Stephen F. Austin State University, with two hospitals.
  • Marshall · Harrison County
    Smaller city between Longview and the Louisiana line.

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

DallasFort WorthPlanoHoustonGalvestonBeaumontAustinWacoKilleenCollege StationSan AntonioKerrvilleCorpus ChristiLaredoMcAllenBrownsvilleEl PasoMidlandSan AngeloAbileneAmarilloLubbockWichita FallsTylerLongviewTexarkanaLufkin

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

Christian health sharing or Sedera? An honest comparison

In East Texas, people often ask about Christian Healthcare Ministries, Samaritan Ministries or Medi-Share first. Those programs are built around shared faith, and many members value exactly that: prayer, encouragement and sending help directly to other members. If that matters to you, contact them directly. We'd rather you choose the right community than the one we work with.

The program we recommend, Sedera, doesn't require a statement of faith. Members accept ten broad ethical principles instead. We recommend it because it has no lifetime maximum, it negotiates large bills, and it pairs with a virtual primary care membership. Its limits (pre-existing conditions, maternity timing, prescriptions) are the same ones we list on every page.

Whatever you choose, read the program's written guidelines before you join, especially how it handles appeals. See how the main programs compare.

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: If faith-based sharing is what you want, the Christian programs may suit you better than our partner. We'll say so.

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

Illustrative example · October 2026

Tyler family, parents in their 30s

$633.60 /month

Member + family, 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

Is Sedera a Christian health share?

No. Sedera asks members to accept ten ethical principles, not a statement of faith, and it isn't tied to any religion. Christian Healthcare Ministries, Samaritan and Medi-Share are faith-based; we don't place members with them.

Can I use CHRISTUS or UT Health East Texas hospitals with health sharing?

Yes. There's no provider network, so any licensed hospital works. Pay as a self-pay patient up to your Initial Unshareable Amount and submit eligible bills.

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 · Austin & Central Texas · San Antonio & the Hill Country · South Texas & the Rio Grande Valley · West Texas & El Paso · the Panhandle & South Plains

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 East 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.