AUSTIN (Nexstar) — For the nearly 4 million Texans who currently use the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace to get their insurance, Saturday is the time to start looking at renewals. Open enrollment starts then, and in order to have health insurance starting on Jan. 1, current enrollees must select their 2026 plan by Dec. 15. The final deadline is Jan. 15 to get insurance starting on Feb. 1.

Costs are set to rise dramatically for many in 2026 — with insurers hiking pre-subsidized premiums by an average of 35%. Despite the potential sticker shock, experts say a large portion of those currently on the program will still be able to find great deals on the Healthcare.gov marketplace.

'If you go out there and shop, you may find good consumer value'

Experts say one of the easiest ways to s

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