- COBRA lets you keep your old employer plan, but you pay the full premium plus up to 2%, often far more than you expect.
- An individual health plan in Florida can cost less than COBRA for the same doctors. Compare before you elect.
- Self-employed Fort Lauderdale residents may be able to write off 100% of their premiums.
- We’re a local, independent health insurance agent based in Broward County.
Our office sits on Sawgrass Corporate Parkway in Broward County, so Fort Lauderdale isn’t just a service area for us. It’s home base. If you’ve been searching “health insurance near me” in Fort Lauderdale, you can work with a licensed broker who knows the area and handle everything by phone or video.
Fort Lauderdale’s economy has a lot of movement in it: marine and yachting jobs, hospitality, port and logistics work, and a growing number of remote professionals. People change jobs, go independent, or start businesses, and every one of those moves raises the same question: what happens to my health insurance? This guide answers it, starting with the decision that catches the most people off guard: COBRA.
Lost Your Job or Changing Jobs in Fort Lauderdale? Read This Before Electing COBRA
When you leave an employer, you’ll get a COBRA election notice. It feels like the safe choice because it’s the same plan and the same doctors. The catch is the bill: your employer was likely paying a large share of the premium, and under COBRA you pay all of it, plus up to a 2% administrative fee.
Here’s what many Fort Lauderdale residents don’t know: you usually have 60 days to elect COBRA, and coverage is retroactive to the day your old plan ended. That gives you time to compare. We pull quotes on individual plans with PPO networks that include Broward Health, Memorial or Holy Cross doctors, line them up against your COBRA cost, and show you the difference in dollars.
Worked for a small company? If your employer had fewer than 20 employees, federal COBRA doesn’t apply. Florida’s mini-COBRA law generally lets you continue for up to 18 months, but at up to 115% of the group premium. That’s an even stronger reason to compare.
Individual and family coverage in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale families often juggle job changes in hospitality, marine and service industries, so coverage can shift mid-year. We help families line up a new plan so children's pediatricians and any ongoing prescriptions stay covered during the transition, and we check whether a spouse's employer plan or an individual family plan costs less overall.
Self-employed and 1099 workers in Fort Lauderdale, such as yacht crew and captains, marine contractors, hospitality workers, real estate agents and remote consultants, can compare individual plans, private PPO options or ACA marketplace coverage. Families can start with our guide to family health insurance.
Small business health insurance in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale's small employers include marine services, yacht crews and brokerages, hospitality groups and professional offices. Seasonal staffing and part-time roles affect who is eligible for a group plan, so we review your workforce first and then compare group coverage, level-funded plans and ICHRA arrangements.
Whether you run a marine services company near Port Everglades, a restaurant on Las Olas, or a contracting business in Oakland Park, see how small group health insurance works, including level-funded plans and ICHRA.
Doctors and hospitals in Fort Lauderdale
Health systems serving Fort Lauderdale and Broward County include Broward Health, Memorial Healthcare System, Holy Cross Health and Cleveland Clinic Florida in nearby Weston. Networks differ by carrier and plan, so we check your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions against each plan’s directory before recommending anything.
Situations we help with in Fort Lauderdale
Laid off from a corporate job
COBRA quote is high. Wants to keep a Broward Health specialist and compare a PPO plan.
Yacht captain going independent
Moving to 1099 income, needs individual coverage that travels and wants to deduct the premium.
Family business in Oakland Park
Needs small business health insurance for the owner’s family and a few key employees.
How we help Fort Lauderdale residents compare options
When you're leaving a job, timing is everything. Send us your COBRA election notice, and we'll compare its monthly cost and network against individual and private PPO options before your election window closes, so you can decide with the numbers side by side.
There is no fee for our advice; carriers compensate brokers. Call (321) 442-6966 or request a free comparison below. Leaving a job? Compare COBRA alternatives first.
Areas we serve in and around Fort Lauderdale
- Las Olas
- Victoria Park
- Flagler Village
- Coral Ridge
- Rio Vista
- Wilton Manors
- Oakland Park
- Plantation
- Sunrise
- Pompano Beach
General information only, not tax, legal or medical advice. Plan availability, networks, benefits and pricing vary by carrier, plan and ZIP code. Some plans are medically underwritten and may limit pre-existing conditions. Hospital names are listed for reference only and do not indicate network participation. Stratton Advisory Group is an independent agency and is not affiliated with any insurance carrier or health system.