A nationwide PPO is still an option for Florida pastors. If your congregation can't provide health insurance, here's how clergy families are finding coverage despite this year's higher prices.
Hi, I'm Sam Jaber, a Tampa-based licensed health insurance broker. I hold licenses in 36 states and work with clients entirely by phone. Whether you serve a church in Jacksonville or a little Panhandle community, we can handle everything the same way.
When a Florida pastor calls me, it's often because the church can't afford to provide group coverage. Now the family needs its own insurance, just as full-price marketplace premiums have jumped and Florida offers fewer protections for households with very little income than many states do. I want to help you sort through that situation without making it complicated.
Let me clear up something pastors hear all the time. Nationwide PPO coverage is still available in Florida through me. If your family is healthy and earns too much for subsidies, it's worth finding out the price.
HealthCare.gov is where the misunderstanding starts. Florida has just one insurer offering a marketplace PPO. Across 64 of its 67 counties, that PPO is at least 50% more expensive than the least costly plan using another network. In a typical county, the PPO costs roughly double.
Private coverage with medical underwriting works differently. These plans use PPO networks reaching doctors nationwide, and the insurer bases your premium on your family's health rather than marketplace pricing.
The first thing I need to know is whether your family's income qualifies you for a premium tax credit during the coverage year. Florida residents receive that help through HealthCare.gov, and eligibility ends around four times the poverty level. Having a spouse and children gives a pastor a higher household income threshold than someone applying alone.
A minister's compensation isn't always straightforward. Salary and housing allowances can both be involved, and clergy have tax rules that differ from those for most workers. Ask your tax preparer what belongs in the marketplace income calculation before signing up. Once you bring me the correct number, we can work through your choices.
That income calculation is especially important now. Florida's insurance regulator reported a 34.1% average increase in approved individual premiums for 2026, weighted by enrollment and calculated before subsidies. Qualifying for a credit can absorb much of the increase. Without one, your family faces the full cost.
If your family's income qualifies for the credit, I'd generally start with HealthCare.gov. For many clergy households, marketplace coverage costs less because that's the only place you can apply the premium tax credit.
I'd check your income projection and your provider network carefully. If additional work or a salary increase puts your earnings above what you reported, you might have to repay some of the credit when filing taxes. Tell HealthCare.gov whenever that income changes. We also need to confirm that your preferred hospital and the doctors your family sees participate in the plan.
Next step: Get the household income number from your tax preparer, send it my way, and I'll help you find a HealthCare.gov plan that works for your family.
Here's a problem pastors serving smaller Florida churches need to understand. The state hasn't expanded Medicaid, while marketplace premium credits generally require household income at or above the federal poverty level. If your family earns less than that, you could be ineligible for both programs despite needing financial assistance.
Rather than trying to figure this situation out from a website, I'd much rather go over the details with you by phone.
Next step: When your household income is near the lower threshold, give me a call before signing up. We'll check which coverage your family can qualify for.
Pastors at bigger congregations, or those whose spouses also earn income, sometimes exceed the subsidy threshold. In that situation, you face Florida's entire marketplace premium, including the increase.
For a family in good health, I'd also quote a medically underwritten plan using a nationwide PPO network. The application includes health questions for everyone seeking coverage. Based on those answers, the company may approve the application, reject it or approve it while excluding a particular condition. That's why healthier households may pay less than full marketplace premiums. Coverage details differ, and I'll explain the benefits before you choose.
Next step: Contact me and I'll show you nationwide PPO pricing alongside the marketplace plans in your county, so your family can make an informed choice.
Straight answers, no sales pitch.
HealthCare.gov lets you purchase your own insurance, potentially with a tax credit tied to household income. If your family is healthy but earns beyond the credit limit, it's also worth pricing a private nationwide PPO.
Your tax preparer should answer that because clergy compensation follows special tax rules. Have them identify which earnings count, then bring that number to me and we'll take it from there.
Your household could end up without either form of assistance. Florida didn't expand Medicaid, and marketplace credits generally require income reaching the poverty level. Families below that threshold may qualify for neither. Call before enrolling, and I'll help check your available routes.
There is one marketplace PPO, provided by the same insurer statewide. In a typical Florida county, its premium is roughly double that of the least expensive plan using a different network.
Give me your Florida county, who needs insurance and the household income your tax preparer calculates. I'll walk you through the available routes and their prices. If keeping your current plan makes the most sense, I'll tell you that too.
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