COMPARE AND CHOOSE A HEALTH PLAN USING TEXAS HEALTH PLAN COMPARE

The following information was released by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI):

Wondering how to pick among Texas health insurance plans?

Say whether you use tobacco and share your birth date and home county, then the Texas Health Plan Compare website lists locally available plans. When you're ready to buy, you can go to Healthcare.gov or buy a plan on your own.

For each plan, you'll see:

The company offering the plan, the plan type, and the coverage level

The total monthly premium (before any tax credit you might get on HealthCare.gov).

Your copay amount for a doctor or specialist visit.

Your deductible; how much you pay up front each year before the plan pitches in.

The maximum amount you will have to pay out-of-pocket each year for medical services.

The percentage of complaints people filed about the insurance company.

Next, you can click to compare plans. The results also give you access to each plan's list of covered drugs and directory of doctors and hospitals.