Head-to-head, from CMS Plan Year 2026 data.
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Michigan is the cheaper of the two: a 40-year-old pays about $708/month for the median Silver plan, versus $807 — a difference of $99/month (14%) before subsidies.
| Michigan | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Median Silver @40 | $708 | $807 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $385 | $540 |
| Most expensive county @40 | $1,048 | $1,409 |
| Age 27 | $316 | $443 |
| Age 60 | $818 | $1,146 |
| Carriers | 7 | 15 |
| Counties | 83 | 254 |
| 1-carrier counties | 0 | 7 |
| Plan types | EPO, HMO, PPO | EPO, HMO, POS |
Network note: Texas has no PPO plans in 2026 while Michigan does.
Source: CMS Plan Year 2026 Qualified Health Plan Landscape. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits; not a quote or an offer of coverage.
This page sets two states against each other. For county-by-county carriers, plan data and help actually enrolling, I publish a page for each state on Coverage by County: Michigan or Texas. There is also a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment periods.
Put your ZIP code in and I will show you the carriers filing in your county, what the cheapest plan costs, and what you would actually pay after any help you qualify for. No cost, and you talk to me — not a call center.
Moving permanently from Michigan to Texas is a qualifying life event, so you get a 60-day special enrollment window counted from the move date — time enough to work through the 15 carriers filing in Texas without waiting for open enrollment. Two conditions trip people up: you generally need to have held qualifying coverage for at least one day in the 60 days before the move, and relocating purely for treatment or a holiday will not qualify.
Your plan will not come with you. Marketplace coverage is sold state by state, so the Michigan policy ends and a Texas application begins — new network, new premium, even if the name on the card stays the same.
Some continuity is possible: Oscar Insurance Company and UnitedHealthcare file in both, out of 7 in Michigan and 15 in Texas. Same company is easier paperwork, but it is a different plan on a different network at a different price.
This is the asymmetry that bites. Michigan has PPO plans across all 83 counties; Texas sells none in any of its 254. The PPO is the plan type most likely to pay outside its own network, so heading toward Texas usually costs you the ability to see Michigan providers for anything short of an emergency.
Only one of the two can be your plan state. Marketplace eligibility runs on primary residence, so if you file from Michigan the Texas care is the out-of-network half, and the reverse if you file from Texas.
Picking between Michigan and Texas on the headline number is a mistake. Enter your ZIP and I will show you what is actually filed for you.