Tampa is where I work, and I help people throughout Tampa Bay who purchase their own insurance. That includes business owners, self-employed workers, families, and people losing employer coverage. Whether marketplace insurance or a private PPO makes more sense, I'll help you compare them and choose.
Office: 5701 E Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, FL 33610 · Find me on Google Maps
Hi, I'm Sam Jaber. Tampa is both my home and the base for my work as a licensed health insurance broker. You'll find my office inside Netpark on East Hillsborough Avenue. I help residents across the Tampa Bay region, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota, Hernando and Citrus counties, as well as other parts of Central and Southwest Florida.
Phone conversations are how I handle most of my business, including helping clients throughout the 36 states where I hold insurance licenses. For Tampa Bay residents, that also means working with somebody who deals with Florida health insurance choices daily.
My clients are people responsible for purchasing their own insurance. Maybe you operate a company in Brandon or Riverview, work as a driver around Plant City, sell real estate in Wesley Chapel, or run your consulting business from St. Petersburg or Clearwater. You might also be leaving a downtown job and trying to replace employer coverage before it expires.
People around Tampa Bay often believe PPO insurance is unaffordable after seeing Florida marketplace premiums. But marketplace PPOs aren't the only possibility. I can help eligible residents apply for private PPO coverage with a nationwide network, and it's frequently worth quoting first when you're healthy and paying the entire premium yourself. It's designed for people who want local Tampa doctors without losing network access while traveling.
Nearly every health insurance discussion I'm having with Tampa residents lately comes back to three important issues.
The first is the sharp rise in premiums. Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation approved an average 34.1% increase for 2026 individual coverage, weighted according to enrollment and measured before applying subsidies. Premium tax credits absorb much of that increase for eligible households, but people paying the full premium face it directly.
The next issue is PPO pricing. Florida's HealthCare.gov marketplace includes PPO coverage, but within the same county, its median premium runs 110% above the lowest-priced plan using another network. That's roughly double the alternative cost, which explains why so many shoppers quickly dismiss it.
Finally, Medicaid hasn't been expanded in Florida. Marketplace premium credits generally begin when household income reaches the federal poverty level. During a financially difficult year, families earning below that threshold may find themselves receiving little assistance from either program.
Your household earnings and medical history determine which of these issues affects you most. Let's look at the situation that matches yours.
When your family's earnings qualify for marketplace premium credits, HealthCare.gov coverage will generally be your most affordable option around Tampa Bay. Because those credits apply exclusively to marketplace insurance, private coverage cannot offer the same subsidy savings.
Affordable marketplace choices around here are usually HMOs or EPOs connected to Tampa Bay provider networks. Those can be perfectly suitable when most of your medical care happens locally. Just be careful estimating your income, since the final premium tax credit gets reconciled when you file taxes.
Next step: Schedule a conversation with me. We'll estimate your earnings carefully for tax purposes and choose insurance that allows you to continue using your doctors.
People paying unsubsidized premiums are feeling Tampa's 2026 rate increases especially hard, which makes private PPO coverage worth comparing. Medical underwriting means the insurer reviews your health history before accepting the application, declining it, or accepting it with a specific condition excluded. For healthy applicants, that process can mean premiums below full-price marketplace rates while also providing nationwide network access.
Before you decide, we'll review exactly what each policy covers and confirm whether the doctors your family uses around Tampa Bay participate in its network.
Next step: Give me a call and I'll show you both prices together: private PPO coverage for your household and unsubsidized marketplace insurance in your county.
When you leave a Tampa employer, your work-related health insurance typically ends too, and continuing through COBRA may be surprisingly expensive. Losing employer coverage generally gives you a 60-day special enrollment period to purchase marketplace insurance outside the regular enrollment season. Private PPO coverage doesn't require waiting for that period, but underwriting approval must happen before the policy begins.
We'll start by estimating what your income will look like during those first months after leaving employment. From there, we can choose coverage and coordinate its effective date to avoid any interruption.
Next step: Reach out once your final employment date is confirmed. I'll help you arrange replacement insurance that starts immediately after your current plan ends.
Start by calling me or scheduling a time to talk. I'll ask about your family, expected earnings, and preferred physicians. Once I understand those details, I'll explain which coverage route fits and walk you through actual prices.
You won't owe me a fee. If you enroll, the insurance company compensates me, without increasing your premium. And my help doesn't disappear once your policy starts. You can still contact me whenever an insurance issue needs attention.
I've put together pages for the counties and communities I serve most, showing local hospitals and how many plans are available.
Every guide explains how people working in that particular field are finding ways to pay less for their health insurance in Florida this year.
Straight answers, no sales pitch.
You'll find my office inside the Netpark building at 5701 E Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, FL 33610. Since I conduct most appointments over the phone, getting insured doesn't require visiting my office.
I serve the entire Tampa Bay region, covering Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota, Hernando and Citrus counties. My service area also extends throughout Central and Southwest Florida, and I work by phone with clients across the 36 states where I'm licensed.
Yes, PPO coverage is available through Florida's marketplace, although the premiums are generally much higher than other options within your county. If you're healthy and paying without a subsidy, a private nationwide PPO may offer better value. I can compare those prices for you.
There's no charge to work with me. The insurer compensates me when your coverage begins, and your premium doesn't increase because you used a broker. You also have a local person available whenever questions come up.
Share your county, the family members needing insurance, and an approximate household income. I'll compare marketplace plans against private PPO coverage, explain which fits your circumstances, and provide pricing for the stronger choice.
Guides by line of work and by state