Affordable Care Act

Enrollment in Affordable Care Act marketplace health insurance plans begins Nov. 1. But questions about whether Congress will extend tax credits that bring down the cost of plans for many Americans linger.

Last year, North Texas hospitals provided more than $7 billion in uncompensated care, like charity care or bad medical debt. One health leaders said if federal lawmakers don't extend a subsidy that makes federal health insurance marketplace coverage more affordable, hospitals statewide could be responsible for more than $1 billion in additional uncompensated care — which could lead to a loss of services or closures.

Open enrollment for the federal health insurance marketplace begins next month, even as federal lawmakers remain at a standstill over a push to extend the enhanced premium tax credits. Advocates warn uncertainty and confusion around policy changes could affect millions of Texans who depend on the Marketplace for coverage.

As Texas develops its application for federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding, rural hospital leaders say stabilizing their facilities should be a top priority. "Without it, all the planning in the world will not matter because there will be no hospital left to transform," one said.

With the federal government shutdown entering its second week, some health leaders in North Texas are worried a prolonged shutdown could negatively effect their patients and services.

This year, nearly 4 million Texans received an enhanced premium tax credit to make their ACA health plans more affordable. North Texas health and community leaders want people to reach out to their lawmakers about extending the credit.

Texas saw the largest increase in the rate of uninsured children in the country between 2022 and 2024. Experts warn it will likely get worse.

Having never expanded Medicaid, Texas avoided most of the looming federal cuts other states will face. But the Affordable Care Act is a different story.

Open enrollment ends Jan. 15. Groups including LBU Community Clinic, Prism Health North Texas and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas offer help navigating the ACA marketplace.

The temporary injunction issued Monday would affect roughly 90,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients in Texas.

Texas officials acknowledged some errors after they stripped Medicaid coverage from more than 2 million people, most of them children. A ProPublica and Texas Tribune review of records shows that these mistakes and others were preventable.

The federal government estimates as many as 100,000 people in the DACA program could be eligible to enroll in a health care plan through the Affordable Care Act.