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How do I apply for Obamacare or Marketplace insurance?

What to gather before you start, the four ways to apply, and the steps where applications most often go wrong.

Updated August 17, 2026 · 2 min read

The application takes about half an hour if you have your information ready. Most of the difficulty is in the preparation and in a few specific spots where people get tripped up.

What to gather first

• Names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers for everyone in your tax household
• Immigration document numbers for any lawfully present member who is not a citizen
• Your best estimate of household income for the coming year
• Recent pay stubs, or profit and loss records if self employed
• Employer name and contact information, plus any coverage they offer and what it costs
• Policy numbers for any current coverage
• Your doctors' names and your medication list, for choosing a plan afterward

See the full document checklist.

Four ways to apply

• Online at HealthCare.gov, which is the fastest route
• By phone with the Marketplace call center, available around the clock during open enrollment
• With a licensed agent, at no additional cost to you
• With a certified navigator or assister, who can help with the application but cannot recommend a specific plan

Texas uses the federal marketplace. There is no separate state exchange to find.

Where applications go wrong

1. Income estimate. Report expected income for the coverage year, not last year's. Self employed applicants should use income net of expenses.
2. Household definition. Include everyone on your tax return, even if they will not be on the plan. This is the most common error.
3. Employer coverage questions. Answer accurately about what your employer offers, since an available affordable offer generally disqualifies you from a subsidy.
4. Document requests. The Marketplace often asks for proof of income, identity or immigration status. Upload it promptly, because missing the deadline can end your coverage.
5. Choosing on premium alone. The cheapest premium usually carries the highest deductible.

Choosing the plan

After eligibility is determined you pick a plan. Consider in this order:

1. Are your doctors in network? Check with the provider's billing office, by plan name.
2. Are your medications on the formulary, and at what tier?
3. If you qualify for cost sharing reductions, look hard at silver plans, since that is the only metal level where those savings apply.
4. Compare total exposure: premium plus deductible plus out of pocket maximum.
5. Then compare the extras.

See how metal levels work.

After you enroll

• Pay the first premium. Coverage does not start until you do, and this stops more enrollments than anything else.
• Watch for your card and your member portal login.
• Report income or household changes during the year rather than waiting for tax time.
• Keep the Marketplace's mail. Some of it needs a response.