Louisiana still offers nationwide PPO coverage. Whether you're a New Orleans plumber repairing century-old shotguns or working on newly raised houses, we can review your options in one phone call. Here's how local plumbers are choosing.
Hi, I'm Sam Jaber. Health insurance is the sole focus of my brokerage, I'm licensed in Louisiana, and I work with all my clients by telephone.
Picture a Gentilly plumber with his own truck, taking jobs throughout New Orleans and over into Metairie. His morning might involve repairing a slab leak beneath a Jefferson ranch house. Later, he's replacing all the plumbing in an old Bywater shotgun double, where three generations of handymen have left their repairs on the drains. Other weeks take him to newly raised houses in Lakeview. Business has remained steady, but he's spent years purchasing his own health insurance without anyone helping him evaluate the plans.
Before we get into prices, remember that nationwide PPO coverage is available in Louisiana. I can help arrange it.
Marketplace PPOs carry a substantial price premium in Orleans and Jefferson. Each parish offers 16 EPOs, 14 POS plans and 8 PPOs for 2026, without any HMOs. For unsubsidized silver coverage at age 40, the least costly PPO is 82% more expensive than the least costly EPO or POS option. St. Tammany and St. Charles have that same 82% difference. EPOs generally limit out-of-network coverage to emergencies, whereas PPOs pay toward other outside-network visits without referrals. Privately sold nationwide PPOs are another possibility, with premiums based on medical underwriting.
Your household income during the year of coverage determines whether you qualify for the premium tax credit. For a plumbing shop, that means net self-employment profit after expenses like the truck, copper, PEX, fittings, fixtures, jetting equipment, licensing and insurance. Submit an estimate when applying and revise it as necessary.
Keep the enrollment calendar in mind. HealthCare.gov takes 2027 applications from November 1 through January 15, but December 15 is the deadline to begin coverage January 1. I'd choose a quiet morning near the start of November to get it done.
When you qualify for a credit, HealthCare.gov is generally the better value because that's the only place it applies. In Orleans and Jefferson, you'll be comparing 16 EPOs with 14 POS plans, beginning with whichever networks include your family's physicians and hospital. Louisiana also expanded Medicaid, providing another possibility for adults whose income falls to 138% of the federal poverty level or below.
Next step: Share last year's tax return and your doctors' names. I'll check the New Orleans EPO and POS networks and calculate the premiums after your credit.
A busy stretch of new construction and repiping can push your household earnings beyond tax credit eligibility. Then every HealthCare.gov option costs full price, and marketplace PPOs remain considerably more expensive. Healthy families should compare those prices with a medically underwritten nationwide PPO. You'll answer health questions, after which the insurer may approve you, approve you while excluding one previous condition, or decline coverage. Favorable health history can produce premiums below the marketplace's unsubsidized rates. The nationwide network can also help when traveling along the Gulf Coast or visiting relatives in Houston. Before choosing, we'll review what each policy actually covers.
Next step: Call me with your parish and the ages of everyone needing insurance. I'll compare a nationwide PPO quote with New Orleans marketplace prices.
Straight answers, no sales pitch.
No. The 2026 marketplace lineup in both Orleans and Jefferson consists of 16 EPOs, 14 POS plans and 8 PPOs, without HMOs.
Before subsidies, a 40-year-old pays 82% more for the least costly silver PPO than for the least costly silver EPO or POS option.
Louisiana uses HealthCare.gov for 2027 enrollment, running November 1 through January 15. Apply by December 15 if you want coverage beginning January 1.
You may qualify when business is slow and your income falls. Louisiana expanded Medicaid eligibility to include adults earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level.
Tell me which parish you're in, who needs coverage and the business's earnings last year. I'll compare New Orleans marketplace rates with a nationwide PPO and explain which I'd choose in your situation.
The guide for every state, and other work I help with