Virginia Health Insurance Broker & Agent: Compare Private Plans
November 14, 2026 · by Bernie Sobalvarro
285+ reviews on Google and Facebook
Led by Bernie Sobalvarro, Senior Advisor, with his team of licensed agents
Looking for a Virginia health insurance broker or agent who will compare private and off-exchange options with you? I am Bernie Sobalvarro, an independent health insurance advisor and licensed broker (NPN 19189235), licensed in Virginia and 30 other states. By phone or webinar screen share, I compare full-price ACA plans with private, medically underwritten and off-exchange coverage for clients in Virginia Beach, Richmond, Roanoke and Northern Virginia. I work for you, not one insurer.
Most Virginians who reach me have already priced a plan, found they earn too much for financial help, and decided the full price was too high. If you are healthy, you may qualify for private, medically underwritten or off-exchange coverage, and I compare it with that full-price plan. I mostly help self-employed people, government and defense contractors, 1099 workers, families and small business owners. You can check my Virginia license on the NIPR license lookup or on our state licenses page.
Who our licensed agents help in Virginia
From Virginia Beach to the smallest towns in Virginia, nearly every call our agents take starts with one of the situations below. Healthy applicants can weigh private, medically underwritten plans against full-price ACA coverage.
- Turning 26
Turning 26
Coming off a parent’s plan at 26? Young adults can usually stay on a parent’s plan until they turn 26 (HealthCare.gov). After that, healthy applicants can compare private underwritten plans with full-price ACA plans.
- High earners
Too much income for a tax credit
Couples and families in Richmond who earn above the cutoff often stop at the first full-price quote. We keep going: private, medically underwritten plans compared with unsubsidized ACA plans, line by line.
- 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
Between jobs
Between jobs in Virginia Beach or elsewhere in Virginia? COBRA is one option, not the only one. We check whether a private underwritten plan or a full-price ACA plan fits the months ahead.
- Families
The “family glitch” situation
Spouse covered at work but the family add-on is steep? That situation, often called the family glitch, is common. We compare keeping everyone on the job plan with splitting coverage.
- Small business 2–30
Teams of 2 to 30
Small teams in Virginia Beach and Richmond, from 2 to 30 employees, can compare a group plan with other setups before committing to anything.
If two of these describe you, that is common; one comparison can cover the whole household.
Self-employed health insurance in Virginia: who I help
If you searched for a health insurance broker in Virginia Beach or Richmond, here is who I help: defense, government and IT contractors in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax, maritime and military-family business owners in Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Chesapeake, professionals and owners in Richmond, and self-employed families in Roanoke, Charlottesville and Lynchburg. I help anywhere in Virginia by phone or webinar screen share.
Small businesses are 99.6 percent of Virginia businesses and employ about 1.6 million people, or 45.9 percent of Virginia employees; 722,562 of the state’s 880,366 small businesses have no paid employees (SBA Office of Advocacy, 2025 profile). Deductibility of premiums for the self-employed depends on your situation, so check with a tax professional; this is not tax advice.
Virginia uses Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace as its marketplace for 2027 coverage (KFF, 2027 marketplace types). If that is where you priced a plan, we can use it as your starting point. ACA plans are also sold off-exchange at full price, and private underwritten options sit outside the marketplace entirely. Insurers and agents in Virginia are regulated by the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Insurance.
Private health insurance in Virginia: underwritten and off-exchange plans
Off-exchange simply describes where you buy: directly from the insurance company or through a broker, instead of through the state exchange. The plan itself may be ACA-compliant or may follow different rules, and premium help from the federal government is only available on the exchange (KFF).
Private underwritten coverage is approved and priced person by person. The application asks about your medical history; the insurer can accept you, adjust the terms or decline, and it may not cover pre-existing conditions the way an ACA plan must (Georgetown CHIR). Many Virginians ask about private health insurance; some private plans do use PPO-style networks, but what is available depends on your county and the plan, so we confirm it before you rely on it. For healthy applicants, that trade-off is worth pricing.
Full-price plan too expensive? How a Virginia health insurance broker compares your options
A Virginia comparison puts the full-price ACA plan next to private and off-exchange options: whether your doctors and health systems in Northern Virginia, Richmond or Hampton Roads are in network, PPO-style versus narrower networks, deductibles and out-of-pocket limits, what is covered and excluded, pre-existing condition terms, renewal and the premium. I will not promise “any doctor”; we check each one.
An ACA plan cannot turn you down or charge you more because of your health; an underwritten plan can. If something in your health history could affect approval, a full-price ACA plan may be the better fit, and I will say so plainly.
Applying outside open enrollment
Open-enrollment and special-enrollment rules apply to ACA individual-market plans, whether you buy them on or off the exchange (45 CFR 147.104). Medically underwritten plans that are not ACA individual-market coverage are generally not tied to that window, so you can usually apply at other times of the year. Availability and start dates depend on the plan and your state, and we confirm them before you apply.
Small business health insurance in Virginia
Own a Virginia business with a few employees? We can compare a small group plan with individual private coverage for owners and staff before you decide. The small business page explains the review.
Talk with a Virginia health insurance agent
Have your zip code and the birthdates for everyone on the plan. The call takes about 15 minutes by phone or webinar screen share. Afterward I email a short comparison, in English or Spanish, and you decide on your own time whether to apply. Family in another state? I am licensed in 31 states, including Florida and Texas; there is also our Florida guide and Houston page. The full list is on our state licenses page.
Frequently asked questions
Are you a licensed health insurance agent in Virginia?
Yes. I hold a Virginia license as a health insurance agent and broker, NPN 19189235. I am based in Florida and serve Virginia clients by phone or webinar screen share, from Arlington to Virginia Beach. You can verify it on the NIPR lookup.
I priced a full-price plan and it was too expensive. What are my private options in Virginia?
Start by telling me what you priced. If you are healthy, a private underwritten plan may be worth comparing; it asks health questions, approval is not guaranteed and pre-existing conditions may be excluded (Georgetown CHIR). We line it up against your full-price quote.
What is off exchange health insurance in Virginia?
It is a plan you buy directly from an insurer or through a broker instead of through the state exchange. Some are ACA-compliant and some follow different rules. Federal premium help is only available through the exchange, per KFF.
Can I get private health insurance in Virginia outside open enrollment?
It depends on the plan type. ACA individual-market plans follow enrollment windows; medically underwritten plans outside that market generally do not. We check the specific plan’s rules with you.
What self-employed health insurance options are available in Virginia?
There is no one answer. A healthy self-employed Virginian who earns too much for financial help may want to compare private underwritten and off-exchange plans; if a condition could affect approval, a full-price ACA plan may be the better fit. I compare them side by side.
Is a health insurance broker more expensive than buying direct?
No. The insurance company pays me, you pay no fee, and the premium is the same as buying the plan directly.
I’m turning 26. What are my health insurance options in Virginia?
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.
I got a COBRA notice. What else can I compare in Virginia?
COBRA keeps the same plan and doctors, which matters mid-treatment, but you may be charged up to 102% of the plan’s cost (U.S. Department of Labor). If you are healthy, a private underwritten plan may be worth pricing, and a full-price ACA plan accepts everyone. We put the three next to each other.
Do you sell Medicare plans in Virginia?
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
