Missed Open Enrollment in Texas? How to Still Get Health Insurance This Year
Texas open enrollment dates
Texas uses the federal marketplace at HealthCare.gov. Open Enrollment for individual and family coverage runs from November 1 through January 15. To have coverage start January 1, you generally need to enroll by December 15; enroll between December 16 and January 15 and coverage usually starts February 1.
Miss that window and you can't just sign up for a marketplace plan any time you feel like it — but you're not necessarily out of options for the rest of the year.
Special Enrollment Periods (the main way in)
The primary way to enroll outside open enrollment is a Special Enrollment Period (SEP), triggered by a qualifying life event. When one happens, you typically get 60 days to enroll. Common qualifying events include:
- Losing other health coverage (a job loss, aging off a parent's plan at 26, losing Medicaid or CHIP)
- Getting married
- Having or adopting a child
- Moving to a new county or state
- Certain changes in income that affect subsidy eligibility
If any of these fits you, you may be able to enroll right now. (Our guide on life-event Special Enrollment walks through each one in detail.)
Medicaid & CHIP enroll year-round
There's no deadline for Medicaid and CHIP — you can apply any time of year, and coverage can start quickly if you qualify. This matters most for children (Texas CHIP covers kids in many working families) and for pregnant Texans, who have broader eligibility.
Texas note: because Texas hasn't expanded Medicaid, many low-income adults fall into a coverage gap — earning too little for marketplace subsidies but not qualifying for adult Medicaid. If your income is very low, it's worth checking both Medicaid and whether projecting income at 100% of poverty could make you subsidy-eligible.
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If you don't qualify for an SEP
If no qualifying event applies and you're not Medicaid/CHIP eligible, your realistic options are more limited:
- Wait for the next open enrollment (November 1) and mark the date now.
- A short-term plan can bridge a gap — but understand it's not comprehensive, can exclude pre-existing conditions, and isn't a long-term solution (see our short-term plans guide).
- New job-based coverage — starting a job that offers insurance opens its own enrollment window.
How to not get stuck again
Put November 1 and December 15 in your calendar every year. If a life change happens mid-year — a move, a marriage, a new baby, a lost job — act within 60 days, because that's your window. When in doubt, a licensed advisor can tell you in minutes whether you currently qualify for a way in.
Frequently asked questions
When is open enrollment in Texas?
What counts as a qualifying life event?
Can I get covered mid-year with no qualifying event?
Is losing my job-based coverage a qualifying event?
How long does a Special Enrollment Period last?
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