Pasco keeps filling up with people from somewhere else. If you've just moved to New Port Richey, Hudson, Land O' Lakes or Dade City and need your own coverage, I'll help you sort it out.
Hi, I'm Sam Jaber, a licensed health insurance broker based just south of here in Tampa. A lot of my Pasco calls start the same way: "We just moved down and we have no idea how health insurance works in Florida."
That's what I'm for. Whether you landed in a new subdivision off State Road 54, a condo in New Port Richey, or acreage outside Dade City, the county seat, I can walk you through it by phone. Phone is how I work with clients in all 36 states I'm licensed in, too. My Tampa page covers the rest of the bay.
If you're coming from a state where PPOs were normal, Florida's marketplace will surprise you. The one PPO sold here costs far more than everything around it. You still have another option: a private nationwide PPO that I can arrange, and for healthy newcomers paying full price, it's often where I'd begin.
The federal plan file shows 173 individual medical plans for Pasco County from 7 insurance companies. Only 14 are PPOs, and all of those come from one insurer. For a 40-year-old buying silver, the least expensive marketplace PPO here costs 126% more than the least expensive silver plan with any other network type. Most of the rest are HMOs and EPOs that work best when your care stays local.
Hospital access is the other thing newcomers ask about. Bayonet Point in Hudson says it's the only Level II trauma center serving Pasco, Hernando and Citrus. Morton Plant North Bay sits in New Port Richey. Before you choose a plan, we check that its network includes the hospital you'd actually head to.
Most plans are tied to where you live, so a move across state lines usually means starting over. The good news is that moving to a new ZIP code or county can qualify you for a special enrollment period, so you don't have to wait for the fall. The catch is the clock: the window is limited, and people lose it while they're still unpacking.
If your income puts you in the tax credit range, a marketplace plan near your new home is usually the most affordable choice. If it doesn't, we price a private PPO next to it.
Next step: Call me the week you get your new address, and we'll get coverage in place before your window closes.
Picture a couple from Ohio, both 61, who sold the house up north and bought a villa in Hudson. Their income now comes from savings and a small pension. Because the tax credit is based on the income on your return, how you draw money in retirement can move you into the credit range or out of it.
I'm not your tax preparer, and I'll tell you so. What I will do is show you what coverage costs at a few income levels, so you and your preparer can plan the withdrawals with real numbers. One warning: Florida hasn't expanded Medicaid, so landing too low is its own problem.
Next step: Call me with a rough withdrawal plan, and I'll price coverage at two or three income levels for you to take to your tax preparer.
Plenty of people who move to Pasco keep working, often for themselves. If your income is too high for a credit and you're in good health, a private PPO is worth comparing. It's medically underwritten, so your health history decides the outcome: approved, declined, or approved with a condition left out. If it fits, you get a nationwide network, which helps if you still fly north to see family.
Next step: Ask me for a private PPO quote and the full marketplace price for your Pasco ZIP code, side by side.
Straight answers, no sales pitch.
The federal plan file lists 173 individual medical plans for Pasco from 7 insurance companies. Fourteen are PPOs, all from one company.
It can. Moving to a new ZIP code or county can qualify you for a special enrollment period. The window is limited, so call soon after you move.
Yes. If you're healthy and not getting a credit, ask me about a private PPO with doctors in every state. The marketplace version costs more than double what other Pasco plans do.
No fee. My pay comes from the insurer, and it isn't added to what you pay.
Tell me your new ZIP code, when you moved, who needs coverage, and how your income will look this year. I'll tell you which direction fits and what deadline you're working against.
Guides by line of work and by state