Open Enrollment Got More Expensive in 2026 — Here’s Where Direct Primary Care Fits In

If your inbox or mailbox has already started filling up with open enrollment notices, you’ve probably noticed something: 2026 feels different. Premiums on the individual marketplace have jumped noticeably for a lot of self-employed workers, 1099 contractors, and small business owners who buy their own coverage, and the usual “just pick a plan and move on” approach to open enrollment is harder to pull off this year.

That’s exactly why more people in Longview are asking a slightly different question this season — not just “which insurance plan should I pick,” but “how do I make sure I still get real, unhurried primary care no matter which plan I land on.” For a growing number of families and small business owners, the answer is pairing a leaner insurance plan with a direct primary care (DPC) membership, which is also why searches for direct primary care in Longview, TX tend to climb every year around this time.

Why This Open Enrollment Season Feels Different

Many self-employed and small-business households who buy coverage on the individual marketplace are seeing meaningfully higher premiums heading into 2026, and plan options have narrowed in some cases. The natural reaction is to look at higher-deductible or more catastrophic-style plans to keep the monthly premium manageable. The worry that comes with that, understandably, is: “If my deductible is high, does that mean I’m basically paying out of pocket for every doctor visit anyway?”

That worry is valid for traditional insurance-only arrangements. It’s also the exact gap DPC membership is built to close.

Where Direct Primary Care Fits Into the Picture

DPC membership is not insurance, and it isn’t meant to replace it. Think of it as two different jobs being handled by two different tools:

• A leaner insurance or major medical plan — there to catch the big, unpredictable things: surgery, hospitalization, emergency care, a serious diagnosis.
• Your DPC membership — there for everything else: annual exams, sick visits, chronic condition management, lab work coordination, and a doctor you can actually reach between visits.

Because DPC runs on a flat monthly membership instead of per-visit billing, the cost of seeing your doctor stops being a variable you have to budget around each time something comes up. You pay one predictable amount and use your care as often as you actually need it — often far less than people expect once they see how it compares to co-pays and deductible costs under a traditional plan. Some members also pair a qualifying high-deductible health plan with a Health Savings Account, which is worth a conversation with your tax advisor or insurance broker.

What This Can Look Like for Self-Employed Longview Residents

If you’re self-employed, running a small business, or working as a contractor without employer-sponsored coverage, open enrollment can feel like choosing the lesser of two imperfect options. A lot of our DPC members in Longview have landed on a version of the same strategy: keep a simpler, lower-premium plan for the big “what if” scenarios, and rely on their DPC membership with Dr. Mbaraonye for the day-to-day care that actually makes up most of a typical year — physicals, sick visits, prescription refills, and ongoing management of things like blood pressure or cholesterol.

It also solves a frustration that has nothing to do with cost: same-day or next-day access to an actual doctor, instead of waiting weeks for an opening because your insurance network’s primary care panels are full.

Questions Worth Asking Before You Decide

Every household’s situation is different, so before open enrollment closes, it’s worth thinking through:

• Do you or a family member have a condition that regularly requires specialist care, where a broader insurance network matters?
• Would you be comfortable with a higher deductible plan if your everyday primary care was already handled through a membership?
• Are you currently delaying care — or overpaying at urgent care — because getting a timely appointment with your regular doctor feels impossible?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, and that’s exactly why it’s worth talking it through with both your insurance broker and your primary care doctor before you finalize anything this open enrollment season.