Nationwide PPO coverage is still available in West Virginia. If you're a Morgantown electrician recently laid off by a small contractor, your immediate choice is whether to continue your employer's group coverage or enroll through the marketplace. Let's compare those paths.
Hi, I'm Sam Jaber. I'm a licensed West Virginia health insurance broker, and this is the only business I'm in. All my West Virginia clients work with me entirely over the phone.
Imagine an electrician in Morgantown who worked nine years for a contractor employing roughly a dozen people. His crew handled apartment wiring for the student housing market, service calls around Star City and Westover, and commercial projects along I-79 toward Fairmont. This fall, a major project collapsed, and the owner laid off half the employees, including him. He already holds his license and former customers have begun calling, so he's planning to work for himself. But his wife and two sons were insured through the contractor's group plan, and the letter ending that coverage refers to continuation.
First, know that nationwide PPO coverage is still an option in West Virginia. I can provide a quote for your Morgantown household.
For 2026, Monongalia County's marketplace offers 37 medical plans from 2 insurers, including 15 PPOs and 22 HMOs. Interestingly, for a 40-year-old buying silver coverage before tax credits, the lowest-priced PPO is 3.5% below the lowest-priced HMO. That means choosing a marketplace PPO doesn't necessarily increase your premium. For healthy families earning too much for the credit, another choice is a private nationwide PPO that requires medical underwriting.
With fewer than 20 people employed at the shop, federal COBRA isn't available. West Virginia has its own continuation requirement, however. Following an involuntary layoff unrelated to misconduct, you may keep the same group coverage for as long as 18 months. Find out the monthly premium from your former employer so we can compare it properly.
Another possibility is marketplace insurance. The loss of your group plan creates a Special Enrollment Period covering the 60 days leading up to termination and the 60 days afterward. You also have a third choice: apply for a private nationwide PPO whenever you like, provided you complete the health questions.
Starting your own electrical business often means lower household earnings during year one. That's usually when marketplace coverage has the advantage, since premium tax credits don't apply to continuation insurance. Estimate your actual self-employment profit after expenses for the truck, equipment, wiring, licenses and liability insurance, then revise it as jobs arrive. In Monongalia County, the least expensive silver PPO costs less than every silver HMO. I'd begin there, provided its network includes your family physician and pediatrician.
Next step: Give me your employer coverage's ending date and an honest estimate of this year's net income. I'll calculate Monongalia County plan prices with your credit included.
If your wife is already receiving ongoing treatment from a physician she wants to keep, continuation may offer more stability. It preserves the existing plan and provider network for up to 18 months. The premium might exceed what you'd pay on a marketplace plan with credits, so we'll compare them. As the continuation period approaches its end, we'll revisit marketplace and private coverage while keeping her physicians in mind.
Next step: Ask the former employer for your continuation premium and send me the names of your current physicians. I'll compare that coverage with the alternative.
Business can take off quickly for some electricians. If household profits climb beyond the premium credit limits, Monongalia County marketplace coverage becomes full price. At that point, I'd quote a medically underwritten nationwide PPO. Each family member answers health questions, and the insurer may approve, decline, or approve while excluding an existing condition. Healthy households can often get premiums below full marketplace rates. If your earnings are rising, update your marketplace projection promptly to avoid repaying excess credits at tax time.
Next step: Call with each family member's birth year and your physicians' names. I'll compare nationwide PPO premiums against Monongalia County's unsubsidized marketplace prices.
Straight answers, no sales pitch.
Yes. An involuntary layoff from a business with fewer than 20 employees can qualify you for up to 18 months of continuation coverage.
Your enrollment window extends 60 days ahead of your coverage ending and another 60 days afterward.
No. In 2026, a 40-year-old buying silver coverage without credits pays 3.5% less for the lowest-priced PPO than the lowest-priced HMO.
No. Premium tax credits are restricted to coverage purchased through HealthCare.gov.
Send me your shop coverage end date, the continuation premium, everyone who needs insurance and your projected net earnings. I'll walk you through the three routes and explain which one I'd choose.
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