Texas individual health insurance 2022 options for Houston ICHRAs
Looking for the best individual health insurance options in Houston to use with an ICHRA? You’re in the right place – and there’s good news! The individual coverage HRA (ICHRA for short) is taking off where you live, thanks to a vibrant local individual health insurance market. That means more ACA-compliant, high quality health insurance choices for employees.
We’ve put together this guide to help employees orient themselves to the local individual health insurance market in Houston to use with their Individual Coverage HRA. Health insurance can be confusing, and many employees offered an ICHRA will be buying their own health insurance for the first time. We’ve got you covered!
Who this guide is for:
Employees shopping for health insurance to use with their ICHRA
Employers wanting to help their employees make educated decisions about their health plans to use with their ICHRA
Employers of any size considering implementing an ICHRA
What this guides covers:
What is an ICHRA?
First things first. An Individual Coverage HRA (ICHRA, for short) is a fundamentally new model of benefits that allows employers to set aside tax-free dollars to reimburse employees for health plan premiums that individuals choose themselves. That means employees get to choose the best plan for their family, their unique health needs, and their budget.
2022 Houston individual health insurance options for ICHRA
Houston continues to trend as a leading city for ICHRA, thanks to a competitive individual health insurance market with three new carriers for 2022.
This builds on an ongoing trend, signaling the health and affordability of the individual health insurance market. More and more employers in Houston are realizing their benefits dollars stretch further on the individual health insurance market instead of group plans, and this brings ample employee benefits too, like personalization and choice.
Disclaimer: These rates are estimates for Houston in 2021 in the 77084 zip code. Your premiums may vary and we expect slight changes for 2022. See our window shopping tool to check for exact premium rates in your area.
Market Snapshot
Houston’s competitive individual health insurance market and innovative carrier lineup mean more choices for employees. The infographic below demonstrates the wide range of carriers, network types, and average lowest cost premiums by tier.
Pro-tip: To calculate costs for adding a spouse or family to a plan, use double the rate for married, or triple for families.
Houston employees have nine carriers and more than 100 plans to choose from. There’s something for everyone.
Disclaimer: Plan information is based on 77084, the most populated zip code in Houston. Rates will vary by zip code and county.
Remember, all of the plans listed here are ACA-compliant, meaning they cover pre-existing conditions and 10 essential benefits. These benefits include coverage with no annual cap for the following:
Ambulatory patient services (outpatient services)
Emergency services
Hospitalization
Maternity and newborn care
Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment
Prescription drugs
Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
Laboratory services
Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management
Pediatric services, including oral and vision care
Have questions? Get in touch.
Employees: If you are an employee looking to sign up for individual health insurance in Houston to use with your ICHRA, our enrollment team is standing at the ready to help. You can set up a call with enrollment team here.
Business owners: If you’re a business owner and have questions about ICHRA, please schedule a time to chat with our HRA Design team to see if ICHRA is a good fit for you.
Brokers: If you’re a broker considering ICHRA as an option for a client, submit an HRA Design request to see if this is a good fit for your client.
The lineup: Houston’s best individual health insurance carriers to use with ICHRA
Houston, Texas has nine individual insurance carriers to choose from.
These include (in alphabetical order):
Aetna (new for 2022!)
Ambetter
BlueCross BlueShield of Texas
Bright Healthcare (new for 2022!)
Community Health Choice
Friday Health Plans
Molina
Oscar
United Healthcare (new for 2022!)
Here’s a Houston health insurance infographic for a quick visual.
Aetna
Ambetter
BlueCross BlueShield of Texas
Bright Healthcare
Community Health Choice
Friday Health Plans
Molina
Oscar
United Healthcare
Recommended for ICHRA
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Easy Enroll options
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AutoPay eligible
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Off-exchange options
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*Autopay is a new feature on our platform that enables employers to take advantage of ICHRA and all its benefits without asking their employees to pay premiums out of pocket and wait for reimbursements.
One simple monthly payment that covers all of the reimbursements for insurance premiums (and medical expenses) for all employees. Our platform will manage the payments for employees’ health benefits, reconciling their premiums and allowance with payroll. Learn more here.
*Easy Enroll is a plan feature that allows employees on the Take Command platform to enroll directly in the portal with no further steps needed. This is the simplest type of plan to choose.
*Off-exchange options are important for employees that choose a plan that costs more than their allowance, since they’ll have to put in some of their own money to cover the difference. That difference can be tax-free when combined with a Section 125 payroll deduction but only for off-exchange plans (due to some ACA restrictions).
Here’s another handy infographic that includes some of our favorite things about each individual health insurance carrier in Houston.
How much does individual health insurance cost in Houston per carrier?
While 2022 rates haven’t been released yet, these are the lowest cost plans per metal tier for 2021 for each carrier in Houston. We expect these to change only slightly from this past year. We will update this section as new information is released for 2022.
Note: The below rates are 2021 estimates based on Houston zip code 77084 only.
What we love:
24-hour, $0 telehealth
Gym discounts, healthy eating discounts (Home Chef)
Healthy Decision points that can be used for a variety of benefits
Easy Enroll options
AutoPay eligible
What we don’t love:
Frustrating customer service
Lowest cost by metal tier for Ambetter in Houston
Age
Bronze
Silver
Gold
20
$270
$240
$300
30
$320
$280
$360
40
$360
$310
$400
50
$500
$430
$560
60
$760
$660
$850
What we love:
Blue365 program with gym, products, hearing and vision perks
Telehealth includes behavioral and mental well being visits
Free health coaching with local coaches
Easy Enroll options
AutoPay eligible
Recommended for ICHRA
Lowest cost by metal tier for BlueCross BlueShield of Texas in Houston
Age
Bronze
Silver
Gold
20
$220
$290
$290
30
$260
$340
$340
40
$290
$380
$390
50
$410
$530
$600
60
$620
$810
$820
What we love:
10% savings on premiums for members
Lowest cost by metal tier for Community Health Choice in Houston
Age
Bronze
Silver
Gold
20
$290
$370
$370
30
$340
$440
$440
40
$380
$490
$490
50
$430
$690
$690
60
$810
$1,040
$1,040
What we love:
Unlimited in-network $0 doctor visits and virtual doctor visits on most plans
Free mental health visits
Easy Enroll options
AutoPay eligible
Recommended for ICHRA
Lowest cost by metal tier for Friday Health Plans in Houston
Age
Bronze
Silver
Gold
20
$190
$300
$280
30
$230
$350
$330
40
$260
$390
$370
50
$360
$550
$520
60
$540
$830
$780
What we love:
Fitness discounts; Complete Care covers gym memberships 100%
24/7 Nurses Line available to all members
Easy Enroll options
AutoPay eligible
Lowest cost by metal tier for Molina in Houston
Age
Bronze
Silver
Gold
20
$220
$310
$330
30
$260
$360
$390
40
$390
$410
$440
50
$400
$570
$610
60
$610
$870
$930
What we love:
Talk to a doctor 24/7 for $0
Free telehealth
$1/day when you reach your step goals (up to $100)
Prescription refills over the phone
Great customer service
AutoPay eligible
Easy Enroll options
Recommended for ICHRA
Lowest cost by metal tier for Oscar in Houston
Age
Bronze
Silver
Gold
20
$260
$290
$380
30
$300
$340
$440
40
$340
$380
$500
50
$470
$530
$690
60
$720
$810
$1,050
For rates in your area based on your age, family size, and other variables, check out our window shopping tool!
What health plans are in network with your hospitals in Houston?
Aetna
Ambetter
BlueCross BlueShield of Texas
Bright Healthcare
Community Health Choice
Friday Health Plans
Molina
Oscar
United Healthcare
Harris Health System (Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital)
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Harris Health System (Ben Taub Hospital)
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Houston Methodist Health (Anything with Methodist)
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Memorial Hermann Healthcare System (Anything with Hermann)
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Texas Medical Center (Texas Children’s Hospital)
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Kelsey Seybold Clinics
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Disclaimer: Networks and plans can change year over year. We keep this information as up to date as possible, but please check with your provider to make sure your insurance is accepted.
How do I choose the best individual insurance plan for me?
One of our favorite things about ICHRA is that it allows employees to choose the best plan for them, as opposed to a one size fits all group plan where they only have one or two options. At Take Command, we have tools to help employees sort through the options.
Doctor search: Try out our doctor search tool to ensure that your trusted doctors stay in network with your new health plan. Try out our window shopping tool and search for plans that work with your doctors!
Prescription search: Prescriptions can also be a big expense! Different carriers cover them differently, so it’s important to price check and take a good luck at formularies for all of your health plan options, especially if there’s something you take regularly to manage chronic conditions. Our new prescription search tool allows you to compare plan coverage and formularies side by side to find the best coverage at the lowest cost to you. Check it out here.
Be informed! We’ve put together an Open Enrollment Guide that will give you all of our best tips and tricks.
To get started shopping for a plan, head on over to our individual health insurance shopping page to compare plans side by side and find one that will work for you and your HRA.
How Take Command can help
With an abundance of quality health insurance plans for employees to choose from throughout the state, Houston employees are positioned for success in terms of satisfaction with their ICHRA.
Employees: If you are an employee looking to sign up for individual health insurance in Houston to use with your ICHRA, our enrollment team is standing at the ready to help. You can set up a call with enrollment team here.
Business owners: If you’re a business owner and have questions about ICHRA, please schedule a time to chat with our HRA Design team to see if ICHRA is a good fit for you.
Brokers: If you’re a broker considering ICHRA as an option for a client, submit an HRA Design request to see if this is a good fit for your client.
Other questions? Email support@takecommandhealth.com or chat with us on the website. We’d be pleased to help!
