Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas versus United Health for Obamacare
This is basically the health insurance version of "New Kid in Town" by the Eagles but not nearly as cool.
BCBS of Texas is the original OG in the State for all things health insurance including Obamacare (just the term for individual/family plans since 2014) and United Health decided in 2024 to make a grand entrance to this market.
We're betting from our 25+ years of experience that this becomes the title fight in most counties for individuals and families at open enrollment.
Below, we'll explain why and compare the two options but first, our credentials:
This is what we'll cover below:
- Intro to the individual family market in Texas for both carriers
- How to compare Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and United Health for Obamacare
- Price comparison for BCBS of Texas and United Health
- Network comparison for BCBS of Texas and United Health
- Plan comparison for BCBS of Texas and United Health
- How to quote and enroll in either BCBS of Texas or United Health
Let's get started. A large percentage of Texans will end up with one of these two options.
Intro to the individual family market in Texas for both carriers
Let's lay out the ground rules first.
Obamacare just refers to any individual/family plans since 2014. The ACA law applies equally to both on and off-exchange plans.
So, they have the same:
- Networks - doctors you can see
- Plans - benefits are identical and standardized (more on that below)
- Rates- yes, the premiums are the same except for one big difference
On-exchange, we can get subsidies based on income and this can be a huge difference!
We look at how to get the most out of subsidies here but the key point is that any subsidy will apply equally to United Health or BCBS of Texas.
For this reason, almost all our enrollment is now on-exchange as it's just a simpler process even if we don't qualify for a subsidy.
The main take-away is that everything else is the same on-exchange or direct with the carrier now.
Both carriers are solid across the board which is why they'll likely end up #1 and 2 in the market going forward.
BCBS is probably 50% of the market and we expect United to quickly get to 20%+ within a few years.
Big individual reviews on BCBS of Texas or United Health in Texas but now let's compare the two directly.
Remember, there's zero cost for our assistance and we're happy do the heavy lifting for you!
How to compare Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and United Health for Obamacare
These days, comparing the two carriers comes down to three main factors:
- Monthly premium
- Network of doctors
- Plan comparisons
The first two really drive the decision these days since plan benefits have been standardized by the ACA law. We'll get into what that means below.
There isn't a good "Yelp Review" for health insurance carriers unfortunately as most reviews online are bad. People only comment when something goes wrong with their health insurance.
It's so expensive these days that if they pay out like they should, the response is "Well...they better after all the money I paid!".
BCBS and United are two most well-established carriers in the State though.
One is local (BCBS) and the other is the largest carrier in the country (United). Even though BCBS has the local knowledge, United brings tremendous scale and expertise as the dominant Medicare and Employer plan sponsor in Texas.
Our response has been solid for both in terms of customer satisfaction for health carriers.
So...how do we really compare the two in Texas?
Let's start with what's on everyone's mind these days. Costs!
Price comparison for BCBS of Texas and United Health
How do the two stack up in terms of pricing?
Let's take a sample quote from Travis county for a 54 year old (non-smoker) with no subsidy (not typical these days) at the silver level (by far, the most popular in the State - more on that below).
Again, this is before any subsidy which can bring costs down significantly (sometimes, to zero!).
United Health is slightly cheaper but most importantly, it's the lowest in the market! BCBS is just a few dollars more.
The two dominate the pricing in many counties with their HMO's options. You can see other options are almost $100 more per month for the exact same benefits.
When you run your quote below, you're likely to find the same situation for your specific situation with United Health and BCBS of Texas jockeying for top position in terms of pricing.
Any subsidy will apply equally to either plan these days.
Keep in mind that pricing can vary from county to county and smoking will increase it.
Ultimately, pricing is based on:
- Age
- Size of household and income
- Smoking status
These rules apply equally to both BCBS and United so our quote engine below will apply them for both carriers.
This then brings up the next question (sometimes, the FIRST question).
Network comparison for BCBS of Texas and United Health
You'll notice in the sample quote above that the lowest priced plans from both carriers are HMOs and this reflects the general move of the market since 2014.
We no longer have PPOs (see how families can get PPOs in Texas) but there are a few EPOs still on the market and BCBS has a POS which is usually the most pricy plan in a given market.
Here's the key and it usually leads our conversations these days:
"What plans will work with MY doctors or hospital?"
There are two ways to figure this out.
You can ask your doctors "What Obamacare plans do you participate with?"
There are different networks now (employer, etc) so they know how to answer this correctly.
The enrollment in Obamacare has exploded since 2020 so more and more doctors will need to join the networks to remain relevant!
The other option is to put your doctors in the quoting tool below and let it do all the heavy lifting!
We can't tell you how great this option is compared to chasing down doctor offices who don't always know what networks they contract with.
There's a big guide on how to compare Texas obamacare networks but the key is whether your doctor works with either BCBS of Texas or United's individual family plans.
Remember, there's no difference between on and off-exchange networks these days even if the doctor's offices get this wrong (less frequent with time).
These days, the real decision is between the HMOs and some of the EPOs still on the market.
EPOs work like PPOs but with no benefits out of network other than a true emergency.
Ambetter and Oscar have been the key proponents of EPOs for now but the question is whether the cost pump is justified.
We're happy to walk through this with you at no cost to you!
Alright, once we figured out where our doctors lay and cost differences, what about plan level?
Plan comparison for BCBS of Texas and United Health
Here's the key...
Plan levels are standardized which means a silver plan can't differ by the benchmark by more than +/-2%.
That makes it so much easier to compare. Here's the benchmark plans and the rough layout:
A cheat sheet if you will:
- Bronze - high deductible, no/few copays, high max out of pocket (big bills)
- Silver - mid deductible, copays for office and rx, high max
- Gold - low/no deductible, richer copays for office and rx, still high max!
- Platinum - no deductible, richest copays, mid max
We look at how to compare the Texas Obamacare metallic plans in detail.
This is a much more involved conversation which we're happy to help with a few tips:
- If you're eligible for the silver 87 or 94 based on income, look no further!
- Otherwise, compare deductible difference and copays VERSUS annual premium difference
We're happy to do all this for you or you can run your quote first now!
How to quote and enroll in either BCBS of Texas or United Health
We make this fast, free, and easy here:
A few notes to get the best quote:
- Income is best estimate for this year's AGI on the 1040 tax form (next April's filing)
- Household is everyone that files together on a 1040 tax form even if not enrolling
Again, we're happy to help with this as the income is where most people make mistakes.
Call 800-320-6269
Chat online here
Pick a time to talk here
You can enter your doctor/hospital info in the quote tool and it will show you any expected subsidy.
You can even filter for BCBS of Texas and United health to see them side-by-side.
The system will show you how much Obamacare subsidy goes towards your plan of choice and even if we'll get the enhanced silver plans.
Of course, we're happy to help with any questions!