Best Health Insurance in Texas in 2024

Everyone wants the best. The best automobile in our driveway, the best seats at the ballgame, the best electronics to entertain us. It doesn’t end with having less than the best when it comes to our health care. After all, we need our health to enjoy the other three. But who is the best, and which is the best health plan? This is what we at CoverMile endeavor to do for you. We’ve done the hard work by thoroughly examining health insurance companies available in Texas and narrowing them down by county, then by the best company and insurance plans within that county.

Health Insurance Providers in Texas

Below, we begin with a breakdown of each of the eight major health insurance companies that are available in Texas. Each area of the state has its own list of local providers, these are the most common insurers. Here, we will take you through each insurer’s benefits and what makes them unique.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, you may see it often as BCBS of Texas is available in every county in Texas. It is the only insurance company that is available statewide. They offer extensive Marketplace health benefits as well as off-market plans. For 2024, they had a rate decrease of .24 percent. This was after a three percent rate increase in 2023, a dramatic improvement for the price-driven consumer.

BCBS of Texas offers members Dental and Vision benefits as an add-on to their medical insurance plans and mail-order prescriptions. Among other benefits are a 24/7 nurse line and MDLIVE, where one can talk to a doctor virtually. Next is their Blue Card program. This gives you access to medical care while away from your Blue Plan service area. Another is Blue365, which is a discount program for health, fitness, vision, and hearing services.

One hiccup we came across in our research was using the Chrome browser. Recent BCBS updates have caused errors within their platform. It is best to use Firefox or another extension when logging onto their site.

Aetna

Aetna insurance is available in 41 Texas counties. They offer all three ACA medal level plans that include Zero-dollar preventive care, zero-dollar walk-in clinic visits, and Zero-dollar 24/7 virtual care through CVS Health Virtual Care. If you need to see a doctor and it is not a medical emergency, but you need a quick option for your PCP, Minute Clinic is available. They also offer a host of other services, such as allergy treatment, vaccines, and women’s health.

Pharmacy benefits include a $5 or less generic copay on many plans as well as a $100 allowance, $25 per quarter, on CVS Health brand products and offers members perks such as health coaching and gym memberships.

Aetna offers Dental Direct and Aetna Vision Preferred insurance add-ons. They can also serve as stand-alone products. In addition, Vital Savings Dental is a dental discount program where members save between 15 and 50 percent on dental services.

One of Aetna’s services is a plan schedule for American Indians and Alaskan Natives and another for Diabetics.

UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare offers low-cost insurance plans on all three Marketplace tier levels. Plans are eligible for premium tax credits when one meets income levels and applies on the Silver tier. UnitedHealthcare is one of the few that will offer dental and vision insurance built into their health insurance plans—for others, you need to purchase a stand-alone policy.

UHC is an HMO. Members must use the network of doctors or face reduced or denied coverage. When within the network, many plans include zero-dollar in-person doctor and urgent care visits as well as all plans cover zero-dollar virtual visits. When you need medication, their prescription program offers $5 or less on tier two generic medication. You also have the benefit of their mail order pharmacy. When using Walgreen’s, members can receive a 20% discount on wellness products. UHC also gives subscribers a $100 wellness card for completing wellness steps. These are outlined on their website.

UnitedHealthcare offers a variety of add-ons. These include Dental and Vision plans, but also include supplemental insurance like Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, Hospital Insurance, Accidental, and Term Life Insurance. Another benefit that UHC offers that is unique to them is Short Term Insurance. All other insurance companies only offer it to small businesses. UHC offers it to its members, and it is available in 48 Texas counties.

Ascension (US Health and Life)

Ascension offers low deductibles for 2024. Many are zero dollar on Bronze and Silver metal plans. US Health and Life, as they are also known, offer plans on all tier levels. They offer both HMO and EPO networks to seven Texas counties. As a reminder, HMOs require one to seek a referral to see a specialist, while an EPO does not. However, with an EPO, you will not have coverage if you venture outside of the network. HMOs are a bit more lenient when you seek the insurance company’s approval.

Ascension has a 24/7 Nurse line for those who need assistance after hours, as well as a low-copay virtual PCP and urgent care visit. Another virtual benefit they offer that few other health insurance companies offer is virtual specialist visits. In addition, USHL offers plans designated for American Indians and Alaskan Natives.

Member perks include True Hearing, a discount hearing exam with 30-60 percent off hearing aids. In addition, Active&Fit Direct is a health program that provides access to a gym membership and other fitness goal-setting services like life coaching. This, too, is at a fee.

Oscar

Oscar is limited to five counties in Texas: Travis, Williamson, Hays, Comal, and Bexar Counties. Many plans offer low deductibles for 2024. Many plans include $3 generic prescriptions even if you have not met your deductible. All plans include Oscar Primary Care, which is a zero-dollar virtual primary care benefit. In some areas, this will include Virtual Urgent care as well. Oscar includes zero-dollar Specialist visits in their benefit schedule, one benefit other companies lack.

Dental, vision, and hearing plans can be included with your medical plan as an add-on policy. Oscar insurance also offers supplemental coverage such as Accident plans, Cancer, Heart Attack, and Stroke. Life Insurance is also an option. The cost of Oscar insurance has improved over 2023, experiencing only a three percent increase over a double-digit increase over 2022.

Cigna

Cigna offers a low-deductible health plan with a high annual maximum. Their footprint is only in eleven counties in Texas; however, their stand-alone dental insurance is available nationwide. They also offer health insurance plans designated for those with Diabetes. Cigna is shown to be good for those in the Dallas Metroplex.

Cigna benefits include $3 prescriptions on select plans. Some receive a $0 copay. All include MDLIVE, a 24/7 Primary Care Physician benefit for routine visits. This can include $0 virtual urgent care and $0 virtual wellness screenings. All plans also receive up to $325 with Cigna Healthy Rewards. This can be redeemed for a debit card or merchandise through Cigna Take Control Rewards program.

In addition to health insurance, Cigna offers stand-alone Dental and Vision plans.

Healthy Rewards program can give Cigna members gym memberships, vision care discounts, and hearing exams. Cigna, like many other insurance companies, offers ancillary Indemnity plans. Among those Cigna offers are Hospital, Heart Attack and Stroke Insurance, Cancer, Accident Treatment, and Whole Life.

Ambetter

Ambetter offers both HMO and EPO plans to 158 Texas counties. The first thing you will notice is that they do not have a Bronze metal tier. Although they do offer three plan levels with the two tiers; Silver and Gold plans, Value Plans, and Virtual Access Plans that allow you to see a doctor from the comfort of your home. Value plans are only available to eleven of those counties. They also offer Dental and Vision as an add-on with their EPO plans, most insurance companies have theirs as a separate insurance policy.

All Ambetter plans offer a 24/7 Nurse line and, in select counties, a 24/7 Virtual Care line. This benefit also has deductible restrictions. For their pharmacy benefits, mail-order options are available.

Ambetter has rewards up to $500 for making healthy choices through the My Health Pays program. These rewards can earn you points you can convert to funds to pay premiums and copays or even use to pay your electric bill, cell phone bill, or rent. Ambetter Member Perks Program offers discounts for things like gym memberships. Other discounts include office supplies, hotels, and car dealers.

Baylor Scott and White

Baylor, Scott, and White insurance is available in 171 of the 254 Texas counties. For 2023, they had the lowest cost increase of 1.8 percent over 2022. They offer both HMO and EPO plans. Be wary when seeking specialist treatment, as an HMO will require a referral, and an EPO will not require one.

Deductibles with BSW can be as low as $0, and Primary Care Physician copays as low as $5 on some plans. Prescription coverage is available as required by the Affordable Care Act, and some medications are covered 100 percent. BSW also offers a mail-order pharmacy. You can also see a doctor through a Virtual Care visit or MDLIVE.

Baylor, Scott, and White has a host of Wellness programs, Preventive care services, disease management for those with chronic conditions, health case management, pregnancy health information, digital weight-loss programs, diabetes support, community resources, and advanced care planning services.

If you have any questions when searching for the best health insurance in Texas, contact CoverMile. We can help you find the coverage that fits your current situation and guide you through the sign-up process.

Texas Health Insurance for 2024

Shopping for health insurance in Texas will depend on which county you live in. You can have as many as eight insurance options or as little as two or three. The one company you will find in every county is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. The cost of your policy will first be determined by your location. Zip code is one of the major factors that determine premiums after age and family size. Let’s take a look at what different policies will look like from a variety of insurers from the largest zip codes in Texas.

The Best Health Insurance Plans for Texas

Below, we have selected the best health insurance plans in each county from the insurance companies available within those counties. We have chosen the largest zip code within each county. It is important to keep in mind that one of the factors in the cost of insurance is location.

*Insurance company*	*Insurance Plan*	Co-insurance	Deductible	Out-of-Pocket Max	Copay *PCP/* *Specialist*	*$0 Virtual Care PCP*	*Adult* *Dental/* *Vision*
*78935 El Paso*
*BCBS of Texas*	*MyBlue Health Silver 807 HMO*	40%	$5700/ $11400	$7200/ $14400	$40/$80	Fee Applies	Dental/ Vision as separate policies
*Cigna*	*Connect Silver-2 3000*	50%	$3300/ $6600	$7300/ $14600	$25/ $45	Fee applies	Dental/ Vision as separate policies
*Oscar*	*Simple PCP Saver EPO 250*	40%	$4750/ $9500	$7200/ $14400	$20/$80	Yes	Dental as separate policy
*77084 Harris*
*BCBS of Texas*	*MyBlue Health Silver 807 HMO*	40%	$5700/ $11400	$7200/ $14400	$40/$80	Fee Applies	Dental/ Vision as separate policies
*Ambetter*	*Complete VALUE Silver HMO*	40%	$5000/ $10000	$7550/ $15100	$20/$50	Yes	Dental as separate policy
*UnitedHealthcare*	*Kelsey Seybold Silver-E (Diabetic)*	30%	$3500/ $7000	$7550/ $15100	$15/$60	Fee Applies	Dental/ Vision as separate policies
*Aetna*	*Aetna Silver S*	40%	$5700/ $11400	$7200/ $14400	$40/ $80	Yes	Dental/ Vision as separate policies
*75217 Dallas*
*Baylor, Scott, and White*	*Prime Silver HMO 008*	40%	$3800/ $7600	$7550/ $15100	$25/$35*	Fee Applies	No
*BCBS of Texas*	*MyBlue Health Silver 807 HMO*	40%	$5700/ $11400	$7200/ $14400	$40/$80	Fee Applies	Dental/ Vision as separate policies
*Aetna*	*Aetna Silver S*	40%	$5700/ $11400	$7200/ $14400	$40/ $80	Yes	Dental/ Vision as separate policies
*78046 Webb*
*Ambetter*	*Focused Silver HMO*	50%	$5100/ $10200	$6700/ $14500	$0/$100	Yes	Dental as separate policy
*United Healthcare*	*Silver-E Virtual First HMO*	35%	$3200/ $6400	$7250/ $14400	$30/$60	$30 Copay	Dental/ Vision as separate policies
*BCBS Of Texas*	*Blue Advantage Silver 801 HMO*	40%	$2500/ $5000	$7550/ $15100	$45/$80	Fee Applies	Dental/ Vision as separate policies
*78245 Bexar*
*BCBS of Texas*	*MyBlue Health Silver 807 HMO*	40%	$5700/ $11400	$7200/ $14400	$40/$80	Fee Applies	Dental/ Vision as separate policies
*United Healthcare*	*UHC Silver-E Advantage+ HMO*	30%	$2500 $5000	$7100/ $14300	$0/$100	Yes	Yes
*Oscar*	*Simple PCP Saver EPO 250*	40%	$4750/ $9500	$7200/ $14400	$20/$80	Yes	Dental as separate policy
*78705 Travis*
*Baylor, Scott, and White*	*Prime Silver HMO 008*	40%	$3800/ $7600	$7550/ $15100	$25/$35*	Fee Applies	No
*BCBS of Texas*	*MyBlue Health Silver 405 HMO*	40%	$1300/ $3800	$7550/ $15100	$0/40%	Fee Applies	Dental/ Vision as separate policies
*United Healthcare*	*UHC Silver-E Advantage+ HMO*	30%	$2500 $5000	$7100/ $14300	$0/$100	Yes	Yes
*79107 Potter*
*BCBS of Texas*	*MyBlue Health Silver 205 HMO*	50%	$1500/ $3000	$7550/ $15100	$15/50%	Fee Applies	Dental/ Vision as separate policies
*Ambetter*	*Complete Silver+Vision+Dental EPO*	40%	$5000/ $10000	$7550/ $15100	$20/$50	Yes	Yes
*Baylor, Scott, and White*	*Prime Silver HMO 008*	40%	$3800/ $7600	$7550/ $15100	$25/$35*	Fee Applies	No
*78415 Nueces*
*Ambetter*	*Focused Silver HMO*	50%	$5100/ $10200	$6700/ $14500	$0/$100	Yes	Dental as separate policy
*United Healthcare*	*Silver-E Virtual First HMO*	35%	$3200/ $6400	$7250/ $14400	$30/$60	$30 Copay	Dental/ Vision as separate policies
*BCBS of Texas*	*MyBlue Health Silver 205 HMO*	50%	$1500/ $3000	$7550/ $15100	$15/50%	Fee Applies	Dental/ Vision as separate policies
*United Healthcare*	*UHC Silver-E Advantage+ HMO*	30%	$2500 $5000	$7100/ $14300	$0/$100	Yes	Yes

* No charge for the first two sick visits, $25 copayment per visit for subsequent visits in that plan year; deductible does not apply.

– Our table above is based on a 40yr old male, single, annual income of 32K, and non-smoker

CoverMile helps individuals and families find the best health insurance coverage at the lowest prices in all Texas counties. Plans exist for as low as $0 per month with subsidies.

How Can I Save on My Health Insurance in Texas for 2024?

We have mentioned factors that determine the cost of your health insurance in Texas. Among the largest of these are location, age, and family size. With the Affordable Care Act insurance, your health cannot determine your acceptance, nor can your health insurance policy contain restrictions, exclusions, or a premium increase due to your health condition. However, your status as a tobacco user will weigh into your policy cost.

The most significant factor in your cost of insurance will be your household income. How much you make will determine if you qualify for premium tax credits and cost sharing subsidies. These will help low-income households pay as low as zero dollar per month premiums.

Another factor that weighs into your premium is your policy choice. A Gold metal plan will cost more than a Bronze metal plan. A high-deductible Silver plan will, for the most part, cost less than a similar metal plan with a $1000 deductible. It is important to weigh how much you use your insurance plan versus the cost of the plan; more is not always better, given your current personal situation. Take everything into consideration when making a major decision regarding your health insurance: Your health, how often you visit the doctor per year, who will be on the plan with you, and your financial situation. Then shop insurance plans and companies before signing on the dotted line.

We trust we have provided you with enough information to get you started. When you are ready to take the next step, you can contact one of our agents and we can assist you with your insurance goals.

At Cover Mile, our goal is to help Texans find the best health insurance that suits their needs. We will take the time to talk to you, help you understand each Texas plan, and assist you in purchasing your insurance policy. Contact us today.