ServicesIndividual Health Insurance
Individual Health Insurance in Tampa
Buying a plan on your own is a lot of fine print. We lay out plans from multiple carriers side by side, show you the actual benefit pages behind each number and help you enroll in the one that fits your doctors and budget.
A plan for just you, chosen with the facts laid out
An individual plan is coverage you buy yourself rather than through a job. Most people who need one are self-employed, doing contract or gig work, between jobs, or aging off a parent's plan at 26.
Because we are an independent insurance agency, we can quote several carriers together and then walk you through the results. You get screenshots of each plan's summary of benefits, the network search for your doctors and the drug list check for your prescriptions, the same pages we looked at.
You pay nothing for this. The carrier you enroll with pays us, so the research and comparison never show up as a bill from us. Need to cover a spouse or children as well? See our family health insurance page.
What you get when we shop your plan
Plans from multiple carriers
We compare options from several insurance companies, not just one. You get them side by side on one page, with the premium, deductible and out-of-pocket max lined up.
Your doctors checked
Give us the names of your doctors and any specialists. We look each one up in every plan's network and save a screenshot of the result, so you are not taking our word for it.
Your medications checked
We check each medication against every plan's drug list and note which tier it falls in. That tier often matters more to your yearly cost than the premium does.
Plain answers on the fine print
Copays, coinsurance, referrals, HMO versus PPO. We explain what each one means for how you actually use care.
Help with enrollment
Once you pick, we walk through the application with you so nothing gets entered wrong.
Signs it is time to look at an individual plan
You left a job
Losing work coverage opens a special enrollment window, usually 60 days. Miss it and you may wait until open enrollment.
You started working for yourself
Freelancers and small business owners with no staff often have no group plan to join. An individual plan fills that gap.
You are turning 26
Coverage on a parent's plan ends around your 26th birthday. Starting the search a month or two early gives you time to compare.
Your renewal notice jumped
Carriers change premiums, networks and drug lists every year. A big change on your renewal letter is a good reason to compare again.
Your doctor dropped out of network
If your plan no longer includes the doctors you see, we can find plans that do and show you the proof.
The steps, in order
- 1
A quick call
When you call, we ask your age, which doctors and prescriptions you have, and how much care you expect to use. It's a simple talk, with no sales pitch.
- 2
We gather the plans
We check your details with several carriers and trim the list to plans that really fit. Screenshots of benefit summaries, network searches and drug checks are saved along the way.
- 3
We review it with you
At our office, by phone or over video, we go through the comparison one line at a time. Keep asking until it's clear.
- 4
You decide, we help you sign up
You don't have to choose on the spot. Once you're ready, give us a call and we go through the application with you over the phone and confirm when coverage starts.
- 5
We follow up
Once your ID card shows up, we check that it matches the plan you chose.
What moves the price of an individual plan
Individual plan premiums are set by the carrier, not by us, and our help adds nothing to them. The price you see comes down to a handful of things. We show you how each one changes your options so you can decide where to save and where not to.
- Your age and tobacco use
- Premiums go up with age. Tobacco users can pay more for the same plan.
- Deductible and metal level
- A lower premium usually means a higher deductible. If you rarely see a doctor, that trade can make sense. If you have ongoing care, it often does not.
- Network type
- HMO plans tend to cost less but keep you in a tighter network and may need referrals. PPO plans cost more and give you more room to choose.
- Your income
- Depending on what you earn, you may qualify for a tax credit that lowers your premium. Our ACA marketplace plans page explains how that works.
- Where you live
- Carriers price plans by county, and the plans offered in Tampa may differ from those a few counties over.
Individual health insurance questions
Something not covered here? (813) 437-9168
When can I enroll in a plan of my own?
Open enrollment is the main window, beginning every fall and lasting into January. Other times of year, you need a life event that opens a special enrollment period, like losing other coverage, moving, marrying or having a baby. Tell us on the phone what changed, and we will say whether it qualifies.
Is buying through you more expensive than going direct?
No. You pay the same premium both ways. The carrier you choose pays us, so you pay nothing for the consultation or the comparison.
Is my doctor in the plan?
It varies by plan. We look up your doctors in each network and send you a screenshot of what we find before you choose.
Does this have to be done in person?
No. Plenty of clients handle it all by phone or video. If you'd like to sit down and go over plans together, you can come to our office.
Are dental and vision included?
Adult dental and vision are left out of most individual health plans. They're sold as separate small plans, and we can quote them during the same call as your health plan. Our Dental Insurance and Vision Insurance pages have the details.
See your plan options side by side
Tell us about your doctors and your budget. We will pull plans from multiple carriers, show you what we found and help you pick, free of charge.