Florida Health Insurance Broker & Agent: Compare Private Plans
November 14, 2026 · by Bernie Sobalvarro
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Led by Bernie Sobalvarro, Senior Advisor, with his team of licensed agents
Searching for a Florida health insurance broker or agent who compares more than one insurer? I am Bernie Sobalvarro, Senior Advisor at Sobal Nationwide Health and a licensed independent broker (NPN 19189235). Florida is our home state, and my team of licensed agents and I help people statewide by phone or webinar screen share, from Miami and Fort Lauderdale to Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville. We work for you, not for an insurance company.
Most Floridians reach us after they price a plan themselves, find out their household earns too much for a subsidy, and decide the full price is hard to justify. If you are healthy, a private, medically underwritten or off-exchange plan may be worth a look, and we put it next to that full-price ACA plan so you can see both. You can verify my Florida license on the NIPR license lookup or on our state licenses page.
Who our brokers help in Florida
Pick the one that sounds like you. In every case a licensed broker works for you rather than one insurer and puts private underwritten plans and full-price ACA plans side by side, by phone or webinar screen share.
- Turning 26
Off Mom or Dad’s plan
Aging off a parent’s plan? Whether you start a job without benefits or work for yourself, we compare private underwritten coverage with full-price plans by phone or webinar screen share.
- High earners
Over the subsidy limit
Professionals and households in Miami and Orlando above the subsidy cutoff pay the whole premium. We compare that number with private underwritten options, which ask health questions and can decline.
- Self-employed & 1099
Paid on a 1099
Paid on a 1099 or running your own practice? You choose your own coverage, so we compare private underwritten plans and full-price ACA plans for you and anyone else on the policy.
- Leaving a job / COBRA
Off a group plan
Sold the business, went part-time or got laid off around Orlando? Before you sign the COBRA election, we compare it with private and full-price individual options.
- Families
Family rate at work is too high
When the family tier of an employer plan eats a big share of the paycheck, it is worth a second look. We put that cost next to private underwritten and full-price family options.
- Small business 2–30
Teams of 2 to 30
Small teams in Miami and Orlando, from 2 to 30 employees, can compare a group plan with other setups before committing to anything.
More than one of these can apply at once, for example a self-employed parent with a child turning 26. We handle it in one comparison.
A Florida health insurance broker for the whole state
This page covers Florida as a whole. If you want a local page, we have one for Miami, one for Fort Lauderdale and one for Plantation and western Broward, where our office is. Clients in Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, Naples, Sarasota and the Panhandle work with us the same way: a call by phone or webinar screen share, then a written comparison.
Florida has 3,485,976 small businesses, and 2,968,201 of them have no paid employees. Small businesses employ about 3.8 million people, 39.6 percent of Florida employees (SBA Office of Advocacy, 2025 profile). That is a lot of people buying their own coverage. Whether premiums are deductible for the self-employed depends on your situation, so ask a tax professional; this is not tax advice.
For 2027 coverage Florida uses HealthCare.gov as its marketplace (KFF, 2027 marketplace types). If you have already priced a plan there, the useful next step is looking at what it does not show: private, medically underwritten plans. Health insurance agents in Florida are licensed by the Florida Department of Financial Services.
Private and off-exchange health insurance in Florida
An off-exchange plan is one you buy from an insurer or through a broker instead of through HealthCare.gov. Some are ACA-compliant and some are other kinds of coverage with different rules, and federal premium help only applies to plans bought on the exchange (KFF). If your household would not receive premium help anyway, giving that up costs you little.
Medically underwritten plans ask health questions on the application. The insurer can accept you, offer different terms or say no, pre-existing conditions may be excluded or limited, and the plans do not include every ACA protection (Georgetown CHIR). Floridians often ask about private plans with PPO-style networks; some private plans use them, but availability varies by county and plan, so we confirm before you rely on it. For a healthy applicant the trade-off is often worth pricing.
How a Florida health insurance broker compares your options
We build one sheet with the full-price ACA plan and each private option on it: whether your doctors and hospital systems are in network, network type, deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, covered services and exclusions, pre-existing condition terms, renewal terms and monthly premium. We do not promise that every doctor is covered; we check the ones you use, plan by plan.
An ACA plan has to accept you regardless of health; an underwritten plan does not. When a condition is likely to be excluded or approval looks doubtful, the full-price ACA plan is often the better choice, and we will say so at the start rather than after you apply.
Applying outside open enrollment in Florida
ACA individual-market plans, sold on or off the exchange, are available only during open enrollment or a special enrollment period (45 CFR 147.104). Medically underwritten plans that are not ACA individual-market coverage usually are not tied to that window, so you can often apply at other times of the year. We confirm start dates and availability for the specific plan before you submit anything.
Small business health insurance in Florida
If you own a Florida business with a small team, we can compare a small group plan with individual private coverage for you and your employees. Our small business page explains the process.
Talk with a Florida health insurance agent
Have your zip code and the birthdates of everyone who needs coverage. The first call takes about 15 minutes by phone or webinar screen share, and afterward you get a written comparison with nothing to sign, in English or Spanish. Have relatives in another state? We are licensed in 31 states, including Texas. You can also read our Florida guide or our page on finding a health insurance broker; the full list is on the state licenses page.
Frequently asked questions
Are you a licensed health insurance broker in Florida?
Yes. I hold a Florida health insurance license, NPN 19189235, and lead a team of licensed agents. Our office is in Plantation, and we help clients anywhere in Florida by phone or webinar screen share. You can confirm the license on the NIPR lookup.
My full-price plan quote was too high. What private options do I have in Florida?
If you are in good health, a private underwritten plan may be available. It asks health questions, approval is not guaranteed and pre-existing conditions may be limited (Georgetown CHIR). We compare it with the full-price plan you priced so the differences are clear.
What is off-exchange health insurance in Florida?
Coverage you buy without going through HealthCare.gov. Some off-exchange plans follow ACA rules and some are other types of coverage; federal premium help applies only to exchange plans (KFF).
Can I buy private health insurance in Florida outside open enrollment?
That depends on the plan. ACA individual-market plans follow enrollment windows, while medically underwritten plans outside that market usually do not. We check the rules for the plan you are considering.
I’m turning 26. What are my health insurance options in Florida?
You can usually stay on a parent’s plan until 26, though the end date and some state rules vary by plan (HealthCare.gov). When it ends, a full-price ACA plan accepts everyone, while a private underwritten plan asks health questions and is not guaranteed. Starting a few weeks early leaves time to compare.
What are my options besides COBRA in Florida?
No. COBRA lets you keep your employer’s group plan for a limited time, but you may pay the entire premium, up to 102% of the plan’s cost (U.S. Department of Labor). Losing job-based coverage is also generally a qualifying event for ACA plans, and healthy applicants can price private, medically underwritten plans. We compare all three before your election deadline.
Does using a broker cost more than buying direct?
No. The insurer pays the broker, so your premium is the same whether you buy through us or directly.
Do you sell Medicare plans in Florida?
No. We do not sell Medicare or Medicaid plans.
Want to talk with a licensed advisor about private or full-price plans? Get a Quote. Hablamos Español. More general questions are on the FAQ page.
Sobal Nationwide Health does not sell Medicare or Medicaid plans.
Licensed Health Insurance Advisor · NPN 19189235 · Licensed in 31 states · Hablamos Español
