We Analyze So You Don’t Have To
If you are looking for the top South Florida Health Insurance Plans then look no further! Our team has gathered all the intel from all of the top carriers on the health insurance Marketplace ACA(Marketplace) and Off-Exchange(Short Term) and the results are in:
For ACA the best is Florida Blue and Cigna and for Short Term its Golden Rule(United Healthcare).
ACA Health Plan Analysis
When looking for the best health insurance plans in South Florida, our agents break everything down for you starting with the main question — where to find affordable health insurance that won’t put you in the hospital due to the price.
We only offer the best options for health insurance in Florida. Let’s start with the big picture –hospital coverage. Why do we start with hospital coverage? Well, if you were to need surgery or were diagnosed with cancer, one of the most important benefits of potential coverage would best hospitals that you would frequent. So why would you want cheap health insurance that won’t cover your medical expenses? You wouldn’t. You would want a health insurance plan that is comprehensive, offers better customer service, and is one that most health care service providers take.
For this analysis, we will look at health insurance companies that offer health insurance coverage on the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace. We used U.S. Health’s Reports on and narrowed the list down to these hospitals: Mount Sinai, Baptist Hospital, and Cleveland Clinic in Weston. These hospitals are considered the best in the area that Florida utilize. The list below are the carriers with one or more of those hospitals in-network. Results are in alphabetical order.
Aetna CVS Health
2022 marked the first year that Aetna Insurance Company was a part of the Affordable Care Act here in Florida. So far, the results are encouraging. Aetna has all three hospitals in-network. This is great and for a new carrier shows that they care about health insurance in Florida. The health insurance premiums with Aetna are competitive and in some counties is the cheapest health insurance available. For a low cost health plan, Aetna should be considered.
Ambetter from Sunshine Health
Ambetter takes a different approach to ensure South Florida residents by providing both an HMO(Health Maintenance Organization) and an EPO(Exclusive Provider Organization) Option. The EPO is a much broader network but is usually more expensive than the HMO option. Unfortunately, both the HMO nor EPO have access to Cleveland Clinic. So, while their health insurance would be good for someone in Miami-Dade County it would be bad for someone in Broward County. Ambetter is available in most Florida counties. In terms of health care, we’d recommend you look elsewhere for your new Florida health insurance policy.
AvMed
AvMed offers HMO coverage on the marketplace. They also have private plans offered directly that our POS (Point of Service) They offer both the Cleveland Clinic and Baptist Hospital in-network but do not cover Mount Sinai. This has been an ongoing issue with AvMed and Mount Sinai and unfortunately, it’s individuals who are penalized. Due to price increases in 2023, we can’t recommend AvMed for Florida Health Insurance residents. We suggest going to another insurance company for health insurance in Florida. Caveat- AvMed does have a private health plan, not on the Marketplace. The health care on these plans is quite good and covers most medical expenses. You will need to apply during the open enrollment period. AvMed is not among the cheapest silver plan.
Cigna
Cigna offers a robust EPO on Healthcare.Gov here in South Florida. All three hospitals Baptist, Mount Sinai, and Cleveland Clinic are in-network. Cigna is offered at a price point that is higher than most plans but still remains affordable. Cigna is one of our picks as the best health insurance option. Cigna has individual health insurance, family plans and health insurance for the self-employed. For Florida residents looking for health insurance in Florida, we highly endorse Cigna in terms of a quality health insurance plan.
Florida Blue
Every year, Florida Blue maintains its spot on the leaderboard as one of the top solutions for best health insurance for Florida Residents. Florida Blue is unique in that it offers Florida Blue HMO Plans, EPO and PPO(Preferred Provider Organization) for any price point. Florida Blue remains the only carrier that offers coverage in every county in Florida. Baptist, Mount Sinai and Cleveland Clinic are in-network with all of their plans. With the Florida Blue HMO, you will need a referral to see a specialist. In terms of health insurance providers Blue Florida Blue Options has the most participating providers. You will pay higher monthly premiums for a Blue Options plan. Typically the prescription coverage on Blue Select or Blue Options is among the best.
Molina Health
Although it’s not our number one recommendation Molina Healthcare has offered health insurance in Florida for many years. Molina is a leader in the Medicaid field and offers good health care in many states, however, Florida is not one of them. None of the three hospitals listed above currently accept Molina Healthcare. At the moment, Molina offers just an HMO plan. For health coverage, there is better health insurance plan available. We do not recommend Molina Health for good insurance companies in Florida.
Oscar
Oscar is on par with Molina in terms of value here in South Florida. None of the benchmark hospitals are in-network. Oscar and Bright Health are very similar; they are newcomers trying to find their footing in the ACA marketplace. We haven’t had very good feedback from our clients on Oscar so this is another plan we tend to avoid. None of the benchmark hospitals participate in Oscar. While Oscar remains cheap health insurance its finances are a mess. For this reason, Oscar remains one of the health insurance companies we avoid.
United Healthcare
United Healthcare is the 800 Pound Gorilla in the Health Insurance and Medicare coverage field. They are excellent for Short Term, Group, and Medicare. However, they have struggled with the ACA market in previous years. They were on the ACA then pulled out a few years ago. They are back this year with HMO Health Insurance Plan options in limited markets including South Florida. As of now neither Baptist, Mount Sinai nor Cleveland Clinic participates under the United Healthcare HMO in the marketplace. United Healthcare ACA is one of the cheapest health insurance plans around.
Short Term Medical Insurance
With its large network and good claims history United Healthcare(Golden Rule) is the number one choice for this category.
The health Insurance plans can be as little as one month in length up to three years. Golden Rule offers strong catastrophic plans for those who need temporary coverage. Unlike the Florida Health Insurance Marketplace, Short Term Health Insurance does not offer ACA Compliant benefits. They offer private health insurance with broad PPO Health Insurance coverage. This means for you the client an insurance company with a strong health insurance provider. By offering such a strong network and plans United Healthcare(Golden Rule) is one of the best health insurance companies in Florida. Chances are if you need to see a Health Insurance provider they would take Golden Rule. There is no open enrollment period with Short Term Health Insurance and you’ll typically find cheaper premiums than an ACA Plan. For those losing coverage and who don’t qualify for open enrollment or have employer-sponsored coverage, short-term health insurance plans are a fantastic option with low monthly premiums. This is our winner for the best cheap health insurance.
About the Marketplace
The Federal Exchange, also known as Healthcare.gov, is a platform that allows individuals, self employed and families in Florida to compare and purchase Florida health insurance plans. The Marketplace offers a range of individual health insurance, self-employed that are certified to meet certain standards and offer comprehensive coverage, mental health, free preventive prescription drugs, quality assurance, prescription drugs, essential benefits, health screenings, and free preventive care. Consumers can use the Marketplace to see if they are eligible for financial assistance, such as premium tax credits based on household income, which can lower the cost of their monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs. Plans offered through the affordable care act are not cheap health insurance plans. You must enroll in the open enrollment period. Overall, the ACA Marketplace in Florida provides a convenient and accessible way for residents to obtain a health care plan and access the care they need. For Health Insurance quotes on an ACA Plan Click Here.
Conclusion
Health Insurance in Florida remains an ever-changing landscape. In 2023 Bright Health and Oscar Health Insurance both stopped offering coverage. Health coverage is something that should be considered only after careful analysis. Just because something is a low-cost plans does not make it the best cheap health insurance. You will want to consider out-of-pocket maximums, federal subsidy, federal guidelines, and national committee. At FHI we are experts on Florida health coverage. For health insurance quotes simply give us a call at 954-282-6891 or contact us here. We are the authority on Health Insurance in Florida and are eager to speak with you.
