Utah's marketplace doesn't offer PPO coverage, but I can still help you get a nationwide PPO. If you own vacation rentals, here's how to weigh your options when income changes by season and local insurers are limited.
Hi, I'm Sam Jaber, and I'm licensed to broker health insurance in Utah and 35 other states. I work with landlords and property managers across Utah, including Moab, Kanab, Ogden and Logan, helping them arrange coverage over the phone.
Picture a couple with three rental cabins just outside Moab. Most guests come for mountain biking or the parks, and their strongest months are April, May, September and October. July brings too much heat, while January barely brings visitors. A closed canyon road wipes out a month's reservations one year, then a festival fills the cabins the next. After paying cleaners, booking platforms, hot-tub repairs and interest, and accounting for depreciation, their taxable rental income can swing by tens of percent between years. Their health insurance needs to account for those swings instead of assuming every year will look alike.
This year, Grand County residents shopping on the exchange have two insurers available. Across Utah, there are 57 individual medical plans, divided into 37 HMOs and 20 EPOs, without a single marketplace PPO.
I can arrange a nationwide PPO for you privately in Utah, even though the exchange doesn't carry one. Your health determines the price, and the network includes providers across every state. That flexibility matters in a remote county, where specialized treatment might require traveling to Salt Lake City or Grand Junction.
HealthCare.gov includes net rental earnings and most withdrawals from IRAs and 401(k) accounts when calculating household income. Because landlords typically report rental activity on Schedule E, they first account for turnover cleaning, property management, platform fees, repairs, mortgage interest and depreciation.
That puts this Utah couple into one of three income categories:
When your vacation-rental income changes from year to year, your best health insurance choice can change too. Each fall, look at your actual bookings and expenses before deciding what to carry next year. Don't simply renew the old plan without checking whether it still fits.
Having two insurers means you're comparing two sets of participating providers. HMOs and EPOs generally won't cover care outside those networks except during emergencies. If you expect to see specialists in Colorado or farther north, make sure they're included in a plan's network before signing up.
Missing an entire month of rental bookings might reduce your annual net income enough to qualify for Utah Medicaid. If that's where your reasonable estimate falls, apply. Should a busy fall push your income back up, report the increase and transition to marketplace coverage.
Next step: Give me a call when your tax preparer has an approximate year-end figure. We'll work out which income category you're in.
In a typical year, income may fall within the premium-credit range. That's usually when a marketplace plan using the better of your two available networks makes the most financial sense. If bookings beat your projections, revise your HealthCare.gov income. Beginning with tax year 2026, any excess premium credit must be repaid completely when you file.
Next step: Share your booking income and the doctors you want to keep. I'll compare Grand County's two networks and help you choose.
An unusually profitable rental season or property sale could move your household beyond premium-credit eligibility. For healthy applicants, I'd also price a private nationwide PPO. The insurer evaluates your medical answers and may approve you, decline coverage or approve a policy that excludes one condition.
Next step: Call me after a particularly profitable year or before completing a sale. I'll compare private nationwide PPO pricing with Grand County marketplace plans at full cost.
Straight answers, no sales pitch.
Yes. Household income includes rental profit after deducting expenses such as cleaning, property management, maintenance and depreciation.
For 2026, there are two.
You may qualify. KFF places Utah's adult eligibility ceiling at 138% of the federal poverty level, so household income at or below that amount could qualify.
No. All 57 individual medical plans are either HMOs or EPOs. If you're healthy, I can help you obtain a private nationwide PPO instead.
Give me an idea of your bookings, what you spent on cleaning, platform fees and repairs, and who needs coverage. I'll work out which of Utah's three income bands fits your household and help you choose a plan.
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