Although you won't find any PPO plans on the Texas marketplace, I can still help you obtain a nationwide PPO. Let's look at how real estate agents whose income comes from closings can choose insurance based on both their commissions and their health.
Hi, I'm Sam Jaber. I'm a licensed health insurance broker in 36 states, and I work with Texas real estate agents by phone. Whether you're selling property in Houston or a small Hill Country ranch community, we can handle your coverage the same way.
For Texas real estate agents, I start with two important questions: why did the PPO disappear, and how will a large December closing affect your premium credit? Texas handles both issues differently than many other states. Let's work through them separately.
Look first at what's actually available through HealthCare.gov. Texas has 834 individual medical plans listed this year, but not one of those plans is a PPO. Instead, you'll find HMO, EPO, and POS options. It's understandable that agents searching those listings might think PPO coverage has disappeared completely.
The good news is that PPO coverage hasn't disappeared from Texas. I can help you apply for a private nationwide PPO outside HealthCare.gov. These policies use medical underwriting, meaning the insurer asks about your health and uses those answers to determine your price. Their provider networks include doctors and hospitals around the country, and you don't need specialist referrals. For an agent in good health, comparing that coverage with marketplace plans can make a substantial difference.
The financial help offered through HealthCare.gov comes as a premium tax credit, calculated using your household's income for the coverage year. If you work in real estate, focus on net commissions rather than gross sales income. Deduct your brokerage split, MLS and board membership costs, desk charges, signage, photography, and business mileage to understand what you actually earn.
One important tax rule is different now. Beginning with tax years after 2025, the IRS no longer limits how much excess premium credit must be repaid. Say an agent projects a slow year but ends up closing four homes during the fall. If those commissions eliminate eligibility for the credit already received, the entire excess amount may have to be paid back.
Which situation comes closest to describing your own business?
This is often where newer agents and people selling real estate part-time find themselves, and there's nothing wrong with that. When you qualify for a premium credit, coverage through HealthCare.gov is usually the better financial choice because that assistance isn't available on plans purchased outside the marketplace.
Don't choose based on the monthly premium alone. Check whether the doctors you actually visit participate in the plan. Texas marketplace coverage uses HMO, EPO, or POS networks, and your county may have anywhere from 1 to 10 participating insurers. Search for your physicians in the networks of every plan you're seriously considering.
Keep treating your income projection as a figure that needs updating. Each time a closing funds, revisit your annual estimate and make the necessary adjustment.
Next step: Let's review your previous tax return along with the properties you currently have under contract. Then we can choose a reasonable income projection and find coverage that includes the physicians you already see.
Once your income exceeds the range for premium assistance, you have to pay the full listed premium for marketplace plans with network restrictions. For successful brokers, team leaders, and high-producing agents, that arrangement often isn't particularly attractive.
Another option is a nationwide PPO that uses medical underwriting. You'll provide health information, and the insurer can accept your application, decline it, or offer coverage with one identified condition excluded. Agents in good health often receive private premiums below the marketplace's full rates, while gaining access to physicians in places such as Dallas, Denver, and elsewhere. Since coverage details differ from policy to policy, I'll review the benefit provisions with you before you decide.
Next step: Call me and we'll compare the cost of a nationwide PPO with the marketplace premiums available to your family in your Texas county. I'll put the actual quotes side by side.
Some real estate years produce barely enough commission to cover desk expenses. In Texas, that can create a serious insurance problem. The state hasn't expanded Medicaid, and its eligibility threshold for parents is just 15% of the federal poverty level. Meanwhile, marketplace premium credits generally start at 100% of that level. Families earning between those thresholds can end up without assistance from either program.
A single completed transaction can change your annual income considerably. During a slow year, it's especially important to build your estimate around realistic commissions instead of assuming future closings will work out.
Next step: If you're facing a slower year, call me before applying. We'll review the numbers and determine what coverage your household actually qualifies to receive.
Texas has no PPO plans on HealthCare.gov, no limit on repaying excess premium credits after the year ends, and Medicaid eligibility that extends to very few working parents. Those three realities matter especially when your earnings depend on commissions. My advice is to calculate your actual net income carefully, update it as closings fund, and compare marketplace coverage with a nationwide PPO based on your health.
Straight answers, no sales pitch.
No medical PPOs are available there. The 834 individual medical plans listed for Texas on HealthCare.gov all use HMO, EPO, or POS networks. If you're an agent in good health, I can help you obtain a private nationwide PPO outside the marketplace.
You could have to repay premium credits you weren't eligible to receive. For tax years after 2025, the IRS places no maximum on that repayment. Update your HealthCare.gov income estimate whenever a substantial commission arrives.
Probably not. Texas never adopted Medicaid expansion, and the income limit for parents is 15% of the poverty level. Marketplace credits generally begin at 100%, so a household with very little income may qualify for neither program.
Not often. More than half of real estate agents across the country work for themselves and receive commissions, which means most Texas agents need to arrange their own health insurance.
You don't need to prepare anything complicated. Just tell me your Texas location, who needs to be insured, and approximately what you took home last year after brokerage splits. I'll use those details to compare actual premiums and explain which coverage direction makes the most sense for an agent in your circumstances.
The guide for every state, and other work I help with