What this page sets up
One 30-year-old in Texas expecting $19,000 for 2027. That’s 119% of the $15,960 poverty line for one person. In California or New York this person would be sent to Medicaid; in Texas, which hasn’t expanded it, the Marketplace is the route, and the calculator shows the note Credit, not Medicaid under the result. At 119% the expected payment is 2.15% of income, $34.04 a month. With $500 as the price of the benchmark silver plan for a 40-year-old, the federal age curve scales it to $444.05 for age 30, so the credit is $410.01 a month, $4,920.12 over the year, and the benchmark plan costs $34.04 a month after it.
Change the age, the household and the income to yours, and put in the silver price HealthCare.gov shows for your county once 2027 plans are listed on November 1, 2026.
The Texas income lines for 2027
The credit uses the 2026 poverty guidelines, the same in every state but Alaska and Hawaii:
| Household | Poverty line (100%) | 138% | 400% (no credit above) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $15,960 | $22,025 | $63,840 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $29,863 | $86,560 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $37,702 | $109,280 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $45,540 | $132,000 |
Below the first column, adults in Texas usually get no help with a Marketplace plan, which is the coverage gap. From the first column up to the 400% column, the credit applies; between 100% and 138% you pay the least of anyone eligible. Try $15,000 in the calculator to see the coverage gap note, then $17,000 to see the credit start.
Getting the most out of a low-income credit
- Look at silver first. At incomes up to 250% of the poverty line, a silver plan bought on HealthCare.gov also comes with cost-sharing reductions that lower the deductible. A bronze plan may cost $0 after the credit, but you’d give those savings up.
- Estimate income honestly. The credit you take in advance is checked against your 2027 tax return. From tax year 2026, an advance credit that turns out too high is repaid in full, so update HealthCare.gov when your income changes.
- Count the whole household. Household size is everyone on your tax return, even people who don’t need a plan.
For the same calculation in a state that expanded Medicaid and runs its own exchange, see the California page. To see what happens just above 400%, use the subsidy cliff page.
Sources: KFF, status of state Medicaid expansion decisions (October 2026); HealthCare.gov, “Medicaid expansion & what it means for you” and “Dates and deadlines”; IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-26; HHS poverty guidelines, January 15, 2026.