Affordable Care Act plan enrollment rises in Texas for 2026
FILE - A health worker inoculates a man with a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a health centre in New Delhi on Oct. 21, 2021. (Photo by PRAKASH SINGH/AFP via Getty Images)
The number of Texans enrolled in Affordable Care Act health care plans is higher than ever before, new data shows, despite an overall decline across the nation.
More Texans on ACA plans
What we know:
In Texas, the total ACA enrollee level for 2026 has risen by nearly 150,000. The increase, reported ahead of the ACA enrollment deadline by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, comes as many states are seeing a slight decrease compared to last year. The news follows a controversy surrounding a Biden-era subsidy expiration.
The total number of Texans enrolled in ACA plans as of Jan. 12 was 4,113,465. Compared to the 2025 number of 3,966,226, the new year sees a rise of 147,239.
Decline across the nation
Big picture view:
The same data from CMS shows about 800,000 fewer enrollments, a 3.5 percent drop, at the start of 2026 compared to last year at this time for the nation as a whole.
Enrollment in Affordable Care Act plans down 3.5%, new federal data shows - See state by state enrollments
Fewer Americans signed up for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance as costs increased due to expiring subsidies.
The drop includes fewer new sign-ups and consumers not renewing their 2025 plans and includes sign-ups through Jan. 3 for the states that use Healthcare.gov for enrolling in ACA plans and through Dec. 27 for states that have their own State-Based Exchanges (SBEs). In most states, the period for shopping for plans continues through Jan. 15 for plans that start in February.
See the full list of enrollment data by state at this link.
Health care affordability in Texas
Dig deeper:
According to Texas 2036, the Lone Star State could be poised to retain ACA affordability even in the absence of enhanced tax credits introduced in the last presidential administration. The nonprofit says a state law passed two sessions ago could prop up residents who rely on federal subsidies.
Senate Bill 1296, a 2021 Texas law that allows state residents to benefit more from those subsidies than those in states without similar laws, may help keep some ACA plans more affordable, Texas 2036 said.
The nonprofit said they found that 3.1 million Texans enrolled in ACA plans will have access to at least on $0-premium plan this year. Those enrollees earn at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, Texas 2036 said, or about $30,000 for an individual or $60,000 for a family of four.
The Source: Information in this article comes from CMS, Texas 2036 and previous FOX Local reporting.