Best Health Insurance Companies in Austin
Not every insurance company offers the same thing. Here are the major carriers that serve Travis County and the Austin metro, and what makes each one different:
| Carrier | Plan Types Available | Strengths |
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas | HMO, PPO, Group | Largest carrier in Texas. Accepted at Dell Seton, St. David’s, and nearly every Austin hospital. |
United Healthcare | PPO, Group, Individual | Strong nationwide PPO network. Great for remote tech workers who see doctors in other states. |
Cigna | PPO, Group, Individual | Solid choice for startups, self-employed workers, and small tech companies. Good PPO network. |
Humana | PPO, Group | Wellness-focused plans with preventive care benefits. Popular with families. |
Aetna | Group, Employer Plans | Strong group plan options for mid-size employers. Note: Aetna is exiting the individual market after 2025. Group plans still available. |
One thing most people don’t know: The Texas marketplace only offers HMO and EPO plans. There are zero PPO plans on the exchange. If you want a PPO – which lets you see any doctor without a referral – you need to go through a broker like Custom Health Plans to access private market options. This matters especially in Austin, where many transplants from California, New York, and Washington are used to having PPO flexibility.
Health Insurance Options in Austin, TX
Individual Health Insurance
If you’re buying coverage just for yourself, a health insurance broker in Austin can show you more choices than you’d find on your own. Private market plans give you access to PPO networks that aren’t available on the marketplace. That means you can see specialists without a referral and choose from a wider range of doctors and hospitals across Austin and Central Texas.
Short-term plans are another option if you’re healthy and need coverage fast. They start as low as $114 per month and can last up to 364 days in Texas. These are especially popular with younger Austin residents – recent UT grads, freelancers between projects, and workers in career transitions. Just keep in mind that short-term plans don’t cover pre-existing conditions.
Family Health Insurance
Covering your whole family takes careful planning. You need to think about pediatric care, maternity coverage, and how many doctors your family sees. Private PPO plans let everyone in the family choose their own doctors without worrying about network restrictions – important in a city where families are spread across neighborhoods from Mueller to Cedar Park to South Austin.
Association health plans can also work well for families. If you or your spouse is self-employed, you may qualify for group rates through a professional or trade association, which can save you $200 to $400 per month compared to buying individual plans for everyone.
Small Business & Group Health Insurance
Austin is one of the top startup cities in America, and health benefits are a major factor in attracting talent in this competitive market. Tech workers relocating from the Bay Area and Seattle expect strong coverage. Texas requires just 2 enrolled employees to qualify for a small group plan, and that can include you and your spouse.
Whether you’re a five-person startup in East Austin or a growing company in the Domain, we help Austin business owners compare group plans from BCBS, United, Cigna, and more. A good benefits package can be the difference between landing a key hire and losing them to a company that offers better insurance.
Self-Employed & Freelancer Insurance
Austin might have more freelancers, gig workers, and independent contractors per capita than any other city in Texas. The music industry, creative agencies, tech consultants, Etsy sellers on South Congress, food truck owners, SXSW contractors – this city’s economy runs on self-employed people. And most of them are either overpaying on the marketplace or going without coverage.
Association health plans let self-employed workers join together through a trade or professional group to get group rates. This is often the only way for a freelancer to access a PPO plan in Texas. We’ll help you find the right association and the right plan.
Short-Term Health Insurance
Short-term plans are designed to fill gaps. Maybe you just left a tech job, and you’re between roles. Maybe your startup hasn’t set up group benefits yet. Maybe you graduated from UT Austin, and you’re aging out of your parents’ plan.
In Texas, short-term plans can last up to 364 days with one renewal period. They’re medically underwritten, which means if you’re healthy, you’ll pay much less than you would on the marketplace. Plans start as low as $114 per month for a healthy 30-year-old in Austin.
Keep in mind: Short-term plans do not cover pre-existing conditions, maternity, or mental health services in most cases. They work best as temporary coverage, not a long-term solution.
Top Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities in Austin
When you’re picking a health insurance plan, the first question most people ask is: “Will my hospital be covered?” Austin has excellent healthcare facilities. Here are the ones you should know about:
Dell Seton Medical Center
Austin’s only Level I Trauma Center and a teaching hospital affiliated with UT Dell Medical School. Located downtown, it handles the most serious emergencies and complex cases in Central Texas. If you need trauma care, this is where you’ll be taken.
St. David’s Medical Center
One of the largest and most established hospitals in Austin. Known for cardiac care, neuroscience, and emergency services. St. David’s has multiple campuses across the metro, including St. David’s South Austin, St. David’s Round Rock, and St. David’s North Austin.
Ascension Seton
Part of a major Catholic health system with multiple locations across the Austin area. Known for women’s health, orthopedics, and cancer care. Ascension Seton has been serving Central Texas families for decades.
Dell Children’s Medical Center
The only dedicated pediatric hospital in Central Texas. If you have kids, knowing whether this hospital is in your plan’s network is critical. Dell Children’s handles everything from routine pediatric care to complex children’s surgeries.
Baylor Scott & White – Lakeway
A newer facility serving the growing western Travis County and Lake Travis communities. Good for families in Lakeway, Bee Cave, and the Hill Country corridor who want quality care closer to home.
Before you enroll in any plan, make sure your preferred hospital is in-network. Hospital networks change. A carrier that covers your hospital today might not tomorrow. When you work with a health insurance broker in Austin like Custom Health Plans, we verify your hospital and doctor coverage before you sign up. No surprises.
How to Get Health Insurance in Austin, TX
Getting covered is simpler than you think. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Request a Free QuoteCall us at
(469) 361-4032 or fill out our
online quote form. Tell us a bit about yourself: your age, who you need to cover, and what’s important to you in a plan.
Step 2: Compare Your Options
We do the shopping for you. We’ll show you side-by-side comparisons from multiple carriers so you can see exactly what each plan covers and what it costs. No pressure, no sales pitch.
Step 3: Get Covered
Once you pick a plan, we handle the paperwork and enrollment. If you ever have questions down the road about a claim, a bill, or changing your plan, we’re a phone call away.
No cost to you. Brokers are paid by the insurance companies. You get the same price whether you go through us or buy directly from the carrier, but with us, you get expert guidance and someone in your corner.
Why Austin Residents Choose Custom Health Plans
We know Texas insurance inside and out. With over 30 years in the Texas health insurance market, we’ve helped thousands of Texans find the right coverage. We understand the quirks of the Texas marketplace – including why Austin residents often do better with private market alternatives.
We’re independent. We don’t work for any one insurance company. That means we can honestly tell you which carrier has the best plan for your situation, not the one that pays us the most.
We specialize in what the marketplace doesn’t offer. If you moved to Austin from a state with PPO options on the exchange, you already know the Texas marketplace is limited. Short-term plans, association health plans, private-market PPOs, and small-group options are our specialty. We fill the gaps that healthcare.gov leaves open.
We understand Austin’s workforce. Tech workers, freelancers, startup founders, gig economy workers, UT faculty and staff – we’ve helped people in every corner of Austin’s economy find coverage that fits. We know what matters to a software engineer coming from Google’s benefits package, and we know what matters to a musician who just needs something affordable.
We make it personal. You’ll talk to a real person, not a call center. We’ll learn your situation, answer your questions, and help you make a confident decision.
