Custom Health Plans, Inc.

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Custom Health Plans, Inc. twitter.com/richardmonello

Founded by Richard Monello, CHP was formed with one purpose in mind: to create the most cost-effective, affordable health insurance solutions available for individuals, families, small businesses and the self employed. Custom Health Plans is a full-service Texas health insurance broker providing affordable Texas health insurance solutions to individuals, families, small businesses and the self employed. Based in Dallas, TX, our team of professionals has more than 30 years of experience in the health insurance and financial services fields. Our integrated suite of online services and partnerships with top health insurance carriers positions us to offer the highest level of service and guarantees the best rates and coverage.

Picked a health plan and already having second thoughts? You can change it.Until January 15, 2027, you can switch as man...
10/15/2026

Picked a health plan and already having second thoughts? You can change it.

Until January 15, 2027, you can switch as many times as you like. No fee, no reason needed. Only your last choice counts.

The date of your final switch decides when coverage starts:

Switch by December 15, and the new plan starts January 1.

Switch between December 16 and January 15, and it starts February 1.

After January 15, you need a life change, like losing job coverage, moving, getting married or having a baby. That gives you 60 days to switch.

One thing to avoid: never cancel your plan first. Dropping coverage on purpose does not let you buy a new plan.

Self-employed or a small business owner? Association PPO plans are open any month of the year.

Our guide covers every date, what a mid-year switch really costs, and how to decide if switching is worth it.

https://www.customhealthplans.com/blog/can-you-change-your-health-insurance-plan-after-enrolling/

Missed open enrollment? It may not be as bad as you think.There are two deadlines, and only one of them is final.Miss De...
10/12/2026

Missed open enrollment? It may not be as bad as you think.

There are two deadlines, and only one of them is final.

Miss December 15, and you can still enroll until January 15. Your coverage just starts February 1 instead of January 1.

Miss January 15, and you need another route:

A life change in the last 60 days, like losing job coverage, moving, getting married or having a baby, opens a window for full coverage.

Medicaid and CHIP accept applications any month if you qualify.

Self-employed, a freelancer, a contractor or a small business owner? You can get a private PPO plan through a trade or association plan any time of year.

Short-term and fixed indemnity plans are also available year round, but they usually do not cover conditions you already have.

The next open enrollment runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Our guide walks through every option.

https://www.customhealthplans.com/blog/missed-open-enrollment-for-health-insurance-texas/

Missed open enrollment? You probably have more options than you think.Here is how to get health insurance outside of ope...
10/09/2026

Missed open enrollment? You probably have more options than you think.

Here is how to get health insurance outside of open enrollment, depending on your situation:

Had a life change in the last 60 days, like losing job coverage, moving, getting married or having a baby? You can get full coverage now at the normal price.

Think you might qualify for Medicaid or CHIP? You can apply any month.

Starting a new job with benefits? Enroll as a new hire.

None of those apply? Short term, fixed indemnity and association plans can start almost any month. Just know they can ask health questions and may not cover a condition you already have.

One surprise: "private" does not mean "any time." Private major medical from a carrier still follows the open enrollment calendar.

The next open enrollment runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Our guide helps you decide whether to buy now or wait.

https://www.customhealthplans.com/blog/how-to-get-health-insurance-outside-of-open-enrollment/

Just had a baby, got married, lost your job's health plan, or moved? 🏡You might be able to get health insurance right no...
10/06/2026

Just had a baby, got married, lost your job's health plan, or moved? 🏡

You might be able to get health insurance right now instead of waiting for open enrollment. These are called qualifying life events.

But a few common situations people assume will work don't count:

❌ Being pregnant (the birth counts, the pregnancy doesn't)
❌ Dropping your own plan or quitting COBRA early
❌ A new diagnosis or upcoming surgery
❌ Your premium going up or your doctor leaving the network

And a couple that do count come with a catch. Marriage and moving generally require that you had coverage before the change.

We put together the full list in plain English, plus how to pick a plan once you qualify 👇
https://www.customhealthplans.com/blog/qualifying-life-event-health-insurance/

Not sure if your situation counts? Message us or call (469) 361-4032. Our licensed Texas brokers will check it with you for free.

Had a big life change this year? You may not have to wait for November.Special enrollment period health insurance lets y...
09/30/2026

Had a big life change this year? You may not have to wait for November.

Special enrollment period health insurance lets you get covered outside open enrollment after events like losing job based coverage, moving, getting married or having a baby. You usually get 60 days from the event to pick a plan.

The step people miss comes next. You are often asked to prove the event, and you have about 30 days to send the document. Miss it and the new plan can be cancelled, even though you qualified.

A few things that surprise people:

Leaving a job counts, even if you resigned.
It costs the same as open enrollment. No late fee, no health questions.
Being cancelled for non-payment does not count.

Our guide covers what qualifies, what does not, and exactly what to send for each event.

https://www.customhealthplans.com/blog/special-enrollment-period-health-insurance/

Fall behind on your health insurance premium and you get a three month grace period. Only the first month of it really p...
09/28/2026

Fall behind on your health insurance premium and you get a three month grace period. Only the first month of it really protects you.

Month one, your insurer has to keep paying claims as normal.

Months two and three, it is allowed to hold your claims instead of paying them, while it waits to see if you catch up.

If you never do, your coverage is cancelled back to the end of month one, and every claim from those two months lands back on you at full price.

So it is one month of cover and two months of risk, not three months of safety.

And the part that surprises people most: losing coverage because you did not pay is not a qualifying life event. Losing a job opens a special window. Missing a payment does not.

Worth a look at whether the card your premium is on has expired.

https://www.customhealthplans.com/blog/the-texas-health-insurance-deadline-you-cannot-miss/

A lot of people search for whether Blue Cross Blue Shield is "part of the ACA." It is a fair question, and the answer cl...
09/25/2026

A lot of people search for whether Blue Cross Blue Shield is "part of the ACA." It is a fair question, and the answer clears up a lot.

The ACA is a law, not a company. It is the rulebook that says your plan has to cover pre-existing conditions, include a set list of benefits, and cap what you can spend in a year.

Blue Cross, Aetna, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare are insurance companies. Several of them sell plans under that rulebook.

Which means plans sold away from HealthCare.gov are usually ACA plans too. Same protections. Different shelf.

So the question that actually matters is not ACA or private. It is whether you qualify for a subsidy, because that help only exists on the exchange. Qualify and buy elsewhere, and you are paying full price on purpose.

Worth checking before you renew anything this fall.

https://www.customhealthplans.com/blog/when-is-aca-open-enrollment/

Why can you only buy health insurance at certain times of the year?It feels like red tape. It is not.Insurance works by ...
09/23/2026

Why can you only buy health insurance at certain times of the year?

It feels like red tape. It is not.

Insurance works by pooling. The people who pay in and rarely claim are what make it affordable to cover the people who need expensive care.

If you could join any day of the year, and insurers still had to accept you whatever your health, the sensible move would be to stay uninsured while you feel fine and sign up on the way to the hospital.

Do that at scale and the pool is nothing but claims. Premiums climb, healthy people leave, premiums climb again.

So the law trades one thing for the other. Insurers have to take you, no health questions asked. In return, you sign up inside a set window.

Which is why nobody can extend the deadline for you, however nicely you ask.

The window opens November 1. What you do not sort out then, you generally live with for a year.

https://www.customhealthplans.com/blog/when-does-health-insurance-open-enrollment-start-and-end/

Enrolling in 2026 does not get you 2026 coverage. That trips up almost everybody.You enroll in one year for coverage in ...
09/21/2026

Enrolling in 2026 does not get you 2026 coverage. That trips up almost everybody.

You enroll in one year for coverage in the next. So the window opening November 1, 2026 buys your 2027 plan. Coverage for 2026 itself closed back in January.

There is a second catch. Three different windows run this fall and only one of them is yours.

Buy your own plan and your window is November 1 to January 15. On Medicare, it is October 15 to December 7. Get coverage at work and your employer sets its own dates, often just two to four weeks in October or November.

Miss the one at work and your current choices usually roll straight over into next year, including the ones you meant to change.

Need coverage before any of that? A qualifying life event in the last 60 days can still open a full ACA plan.

We are a Texas brokerage. Working out which window you are in costs you nothing.

https://www.customhealthplans.com/blog/open-enrollment-2026-texas-guide/

Here is the open enrollment rule almost nobody uses.You can change your plan as many times as you like while the window ...
09/17/2026

Here is the open enrollment rule almost nobody uses.

You can change your plan as many times as you like while the window is open. Only the last one you pick counts.

So there is no reason to agonise in November. Enroll early so you are covered, then keep comparing. If you find something better on January 10, you can still switch to it.

The catch is the calendar. Open enrollment for 2027 runs November 1 to January 15. Switch before December 15 and your new plan starts January 1. Switch after that and it starts February 1, which leaves you carrying January with nothing.

Once January 15 passes, that flexibility is gone for the year. These deadlines are federal. Nobody can extend one for you.

Worth doing in October, before the window even opens: find your renewal notice, list your doctors, list your prescriptions, and check the income estimate behind your subsidy.

We are a Texas brokerage and a comparison costs you nothing.

https://www.customhealthplans.com/blog/when-is-open-enrollment-for-health-insurance-2027/

Address

4601 Old Shepard Place #104
Plano, TX
75093

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 6pm
Thursday 8am - 6pm
Friday 8am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 2pm

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