To buy health insurance, El Paso residents use the federal Marketplace at HealthCare.gov for 2027 coverage. Households earning 100% to 400% of the poverty level can get a premium tax credit. Open Enrollment runs Nov 1, 2026 – Jan 15, 2027, and you must enroll by Dec 15, 2026 for coverage starting Jan 1.
Updated for the 2027 plan year (October 2026). Reviewed by Adam Segall, Licensed Insurance Agent (FL Lic #P101968).
- Where El Paso residents get coverage
- Your 2027 enrollment calendar
- UMC El Paso and county help
- Fort Bliss families and TRICARE
- Border-region families: the 2027 subsidy rule
- Income limits for El Paso households
- Free in-person help and clinics
- The coverage gap and children’s coverage
- Frequently asked questions
Where El Paso residents get health coverage
Most working-age El Pasoans get insurance through a job, the military, Medicaid or CHIP. If none of those fit, you buy your own health insurance. El Paso County residents in that spot have the same Marketplace options as the rest of Texas. Texas uses the federal exchange, so they shop on HealthCare.gov or enroll through a licensed agent or assistant connected to it. The price of a plan is the same either way.
Every Marketplace plan must cover essential benefits such as doctor visits, emergency care, hospital stays, prescriptions, maternity care and mental health. Pre-existing conditions can’t be used to deny you or raise your rate. Short-term and health-sharing plans are not ACA plans and don’t follow those rules, so read the fine print before you buy one.
For the statewide picture, see our Texas health insurance guide. To focus on lowering your premium, start with the affordable health insurance in Texas hub.
Your 2027 enrollment calendar
- November 1, 2026: Open Enrollment for 2027 plans begins.
- December 15, 2026: last day to enroll for coverage on January 1, 2027.
- December 16, 2026 – January 15, 2027: enrollments start February 1, 2027.
- After January 15, 2027: you need a qualifying life event and a Special Enrollment Period, usually 60 days.
Leaving active duty, losing job coverage, a move to El Paso, marriage or a new baby are common qualifying events. Our Open Enrollment 2027 guide walks through every date.
Plan ending? Cigna is leaving the ACA Marketplace after December 31, 2026 in 11 states including Texas. If you got a discontinuation notice, choose a new 2027 plan yourself by December 15 instead of waiting to be reassigned.
Health insurance El Paso networks: UMC and county help
El Paso’s public hospital is run by the county. The El Paso County Hospital District does business as University Medical Center of El Paso, according to UMC’s charity care page. UMC describes itself as the only Level I trauma center within a 270-mile radius of El Paso, so it is worth checking whether a plan includes it in-network.
UMC also runs a Healthcare Options (Indigent Health Care) Program that can provide charity care to uninsured or underinsured people based on federal poverty guidelines, household size and where you live. That help is valuable, but it is hospital financial assistance, not a health plan. If your income reaches 100% of the poverty level, a subsidized Marketplace plan may cover far more, including care at other hospitals and when you travel.
Networks differ widely by plan, and 2027 El Paso County plan data isn’t final yet, so carriers and networks vary by county. Check each plan’s 2027 directory for your doctors and hospital. Our guide on how to choose a health plan explains HMO, EPO and PPO networks.
Honesty.AI checks every 2027 El Paso County plan against your doctors, medicines and subsidy.
Fort Bliss families and TRICARE
Fort Bliss is home to thousands of soldiers and their families, who get care through TRICARE at William Beaumont Army Medical Center, which serves active-duty members, their families and retirees. HealthCare.gov’s military and veterans page confirms TRICARE counts as qualifying coverage, so you don’t need a Marketplace plan while you have it.
Timing matters when someone leaves the service. Eligible members may get 180 days of transitional TRICARE through the Transitional Assistance Management Program. When that coverage ends, losing it generally opens a Special Enrollment Period. Shop before the end date so the family moves straight into a new plan. Spouses who work off-post should also compare their employer’s family coverage against a subsidized Marketplace plan.
Border-region families: the 2027 immigrant subsidy rule
El Paso sits on the border, and many households include relatives with different immigration statuses. From January 1, 2027, Marketplace premium tax credits are limited to lawful permanent residents (green card holders), Cuban or Haitian entrants and Compact of Free Association migrants, according to HealthCare.gov’s lawfully present immigrants page.
Other lawfully present immigrants can still enroll in a Marketplace plan for 2027, but they pay the full premium. Each person in a household is evaluated separately, so U.S.-citizen children and green-card-holding parents can still receive savings, Medicaid or CHIP. Only the people applying for coverage need to provide immigration details. Read our 2027 immigrant subsidy guide, and apply in Spanish at CuidadoDeSalud.gov if you prefer.
Income limits for El Paso households in 2027
The biggest factor in what health insurance El Paso households can afford is the premium tax credit, which depends on household income compared with the federal poverty level. In Texas, credits start at 100% of the poverty level and stop above 400%, since the enhanced credits expired at the end of 2025. The table uses the 2026 poverty guidelines that apply to 2027 coverage.
| Household size | 100% of poverty level (credits begin) | 400% of poverty level (credits end) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15,960 | $63,840 |
| 2 | $21,640 | $86,560 |
| 3 | $27,320 | $109,280 |
| 4 | $33,000 | $132,000 |
Within that range, the IRS caps your share of the benchmark Silver plan at 2.15% to 10.22% of income for 2027. Below 250% of the poverty level, Silver plans also come with cost-sharing reductions that lower deductibles and copays. The 2027 out-of-pocket maximum is $12,000 for one person. KFF reports insurers proposed a median 15% increase nationally for 2027, so compare plans again this fall. See IRS eligibility rules and our 2027 subsidies guide.
Tip for cross-border and seasonal workers: estimate your full 2027 household income, including overtime, side jobs and self-employment. The credit is reconciled on your tax return, so update your application if your income changes during the year.
Free in-person help and clinics in El Paso
El Paso County has an in-person Navigator for 2026–2027. The CMS Navigator awardee summary lists MHP Salud as offering in-person and virtual help in El Paso and Hudspeth counties, among others. Navigators are free and must stay neutral. Find appointments and other certified assisters at localhelp.healthcare.gov.
For care without insurance, El Paso has federally funded community health centers with sliding fees, including Project Vida Health Center and Centro San Vicente. Confirm locations with HRSA’s Find a Health Center. The City of El Paso Department of Public Health handles immunizations and community health programs.
The coverage gap and children’s coverage
Texas has not expanded Medicaid. Most adults without dependent children can’t get Medicaid at any income, and parents qualify only at very low incomes. Adults below 100% of the poverty level with no other option fall into the coverage gap, with no Medicaid and no Marketplace credit.
Children are often covered even when parents are not. Texas Medicaid and CHIP accept applications all year at YourTexasBenefits.com, run by Texas Health and Human Services. If your 2027 income will reach 100% of the poverty level, report it accurately on your Marketplace application so you can qualify for the credit.
How Honesty helps El Paso families
Shopping for health insurance, El Paso families often juggle TRICARE dates, mixed immigration status and doctors on both sides of town. Honesty.AI is a licensed, unbiased, agnostic AI insurance agent on your side. It compares every plan in your ZIP code, applies your subsidy, checks doctors and prescriptions, and shows ACA, alternative and ancillary plans side by side.
Honesty doesn’t have a local office. You reach us 24/7 by chat, voice or text, and Honesty® Insurance Services, LLC is licensed in Texas (TX #3156333). See how Honesty.AI works.
Compare 2027 El Paso plans in minutes
See every Marketplace plan in El Paso County, apply your subsidy and enroll when you’re ready. Honesty Is Your Best Policy®.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get health insurance in El Paso if my job doesn’t offer it?
Apply on the federal Marketplace at HealthCare.gov or through a licensed agent or assistant connected to it. Texas has no state exchange. Open Enrollment for 2027 runs November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027, and enrolling by December 15 starts coverage January 1.
Is UMC’s Healthcare Options program health insurance?
No. UMC El Paso, the county hospital district, offers charity care through its Healthcare Options program for uninsured or underinsured people based on federal poverty guidelines. It is financial assistance at UMC, not a health plan, so compare Marketplace options too.
Can Fort Bliss families buy a Marketplace plan?
Families with TRICARE already have qualifying coverage and don’t need one. When TRICARE or transitional TRICARE ends after someone leaves the service, losing that coverage generally opens a Special Enrollment Period for a Marketplace plan.
Which immigrants can get Marketplace subsidies in 2027?
Starting January 1, 2027, premium tax credits are limited to green card holders, Cuban or Haitian entrants, and Compact of Free Association migrants. Other lawfully present immigrants can still buy a plan without the credit, and eligible family members are evaluated separately.
Where can I get free enrollment help in El Paso?
CMS lists MHP Salud as the in-person Navigator for El Paso County for 2026 to 2027. Search your ZIP code at localhelp.healthcare.gov to find an appointment, or ask Honesty.AI anytime by chat, voice or text.
Keep learning: read our guides for San Antonio and Austin, see all Texas cities in the affordable health insurance in Texas hub, learn about affordable health insurance nationally, or see how the health insurance Marketplace works.
