Florida Health Insurance: Find Affordable Plans | Affordable Health Insurance

There are some important considerations when shopping for individual coverage, whether for yourself or multiple people. These considerations include:

  • Medical needs
  • Preferred plan type
  • Premium affordability
  • Individual vs. family deductibles

Insurance for individuals in Florida

When you’re looking for individual coverage, you have a little more flexibility. If you don’t have any chronic health problems, you may qualify for off-market or non-ACA plans. You may be able to reduce your annual out-of-pocket costs by choosing a plan with a low monthly premium and a high annual deductible. You have to pay the premium no matter how much you use your coverage. Still, you don’t pay anything toward the deductible until you receive medical services. The type of plan you choose is also an important consideration.

  • Health maintenance organization (HMO) plans typically cost less than other health coverage types and have some restrictions that can affect your ability to access care. For example, you may have to ask for a referral if you want to see a specialist and your network is local.
  • Preferred provider organizations (PPOs) don’t require referrals and usually offer nationwide coverage but tend to cost more than HMO plans. Most PPOs also have out-of-network benefits.
  • Point-of-service (POS) plans combine the features of an HMO with the features of a PPO. You have to ask for a referral to see a specialist, but you can get care from out-of-network providers if you’re willing to pay a larger percentage of the cost.

Insurance for families in Florida

When you’re shopping for coverage for multiple people, you need to think about individual health needs and your potential out-of-pocket costs. You may be healthy, but perhaps your spouse has asthma, or one of your children has a disorder requiring ongoing care. In that case, you need to balance the monthly premium with the annual deductible and the copayment or coinsurance amount for each service. In some cases, it makes sense to purchase a more expensive plan that offers better coverage. If you choose a low-cost plan, you may have trouble paying the large deductible if one of your family members needs medical care.

Plan type is also an important consideration for families. If one of your family members needs ongoing medical care, you may find value in a PPO plan. A PPO gives you the freedom to see a specialist without asking for a referral. Before purchasing a plan, check the provider network to make sure it covers doctors and hospitals in a wide range of specialties.