New neighborhoods have brought plenty of young families into Riverview, and many residents are shopping for their very first health insurance policy. I'll help you understand the choices and make that first purchase easier.
Hi, I'm Sam Jaber, a licensed health insurance broker based in Tampa, just north of Riverview along US-301. Because Riverview sits south of Brandon as an unincorporated part of Hillsborough County, residents choose from the same marketplace insurance plans available throughout the county.
Many Riverview residents who reach out to me are shopping for coverage on their own for the first time. Some are approaching 26, others have switched from W-2 employment to 1099 contracts, and some recently purchased their first home without having employer benefits. We can handle everything over the phone, just as I do for people throughout the 36 states where I'm licensed. You can also explore my Tampa page for information about surrounding communities.
You've probably heard that PPO coverage has disappeared from the area. That's only partly true. Hillsborough's marketplace has a PPO offered by one insurer, but its price is more than double that of other plans. I can also help you explore a private nationwide PPO, which works differently and is often worth comparing when you're young, healthy, and paying without a subsidy.
The first thing I want to establish isn't the plan but the timing. Coverage through a parent typically stops at 26, and that loss can give you a special enrollment opportunity. Leaving an employer also means your insurance ends according to the date that employer establishes. Both situations involve enrollment deadlines, and overlooking those dates is a common mistake among people buying their first policy.
Riverview shoppers use Hillsborough County's marketplace selection, which includes 173 medical plans offered by 7 insurers. Of those, 14 are PPO plans. For someone age 40, the least expensive silver PPO carries a premium 138% above the lowest-cost silver plan using a different network.
Imagine a freelance photographer who also picks up restaurant shifts and shares a townhome near Big Bend Road with two roommates. She's 25 and a half, and her mother's insurance has taken care of her medical coverage for years. In another six months, she'll need to replace it herself.
We'd begin by confirming precisely when her existing insurance ends and which enrollment period becomes available. Next comes her income. If restaurant tips and photography earnings qualify her for premium tax credits, marketplace coverage will generally cost her less. If she's healthy and earns above that range, I'd compare a private PPO against it. Medical underwriting applies to that option, meaning her health history affects eligibility.
Next step: Reach out a few months ahead of turning 26. That gives us time to arrange your own health insurance so it can begin as soon as your parent's coverage finishes.
Switching from a W-2 position to contract employment means losing your employer's insurance on the date they determine. That loss also qualifies you for a marketplace enrollment opportunity. Private PPO applications aren't restricted to that enrollment period, although underwriting approval takes time before your new coverage can become effective.
If your preferred physician practices at St. Joseph's Hospital-South, the Simmons Loop hospital established in 2015, we'll verify that your chosen insurance includes that facility.
Next step: Get in touch once you know your final workday, and we'll arrange the timing so your replacement insurance begins when your employer coverage ends.
Straight answers, no sales pitch.
The exact ending date varies by plan, so confirm it directly with your parent's employer or insurance company. Once that coverage ends, you may qualify for a special enrollment opportunity.
No, Riverview falls within Hillsborough County, so residents have access to the same 173 marketplace plans available throughout the county.
Yes, there are choices. Healthy applicants paying unsubsidized premiums can pursue private PPO coverage with nationwide access. There's also a marketplace PPO, although its premiums are considerably higher than other marketplace options.
No additional charge. My compensation comes from the insurance company, so your premium is exactly what it would be if you purchased coverage directly.
Start by sharing your date of birth, the date your existing health insurance runs out, your estimated income for this year, and any doctors you'd prefer to continue seeing. From there, I'll walk you through the available choices and explain everything in plain English.
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