Health Insurance for Travel Nurses in Florida
Most travel nurses in Florida are paid in ways that leave them shopping for their own coverage, whether they work around Tampa or anywhere else in the state. Most of the ones I work with choose a private plan priced on their health, not their income, that can start any month if approved. Florida Marketplace premiums are rising 10.4% on average for 2027, so the private option is worth pricing first.
Private health insurance in Florida
Most travel nurses I help in Florida end up on a private plan, not a Marketplace plan. Private, medically underwritten health insurance is priced on your age, zip code and health instead of your income, so a strong year never raises your premium and there is no tax credit to pay back in April.
Why people leave the Marketplace
- Premiums keep climbing. Florida Marketplace premiums are rising 10.4% on average for 2027.
- The subsidy cliff. Above 400 percent of the poverty level ($63,840 for one person, $132,000 for a family of four) you pay full price.
- Surprise tax bills. Underestimate your income and you repay the tax credit in April.
- Narrow networks. Many plans are local HMOs or EPOs that need referrals and cover little outside the area.
- High out-of-pocket costs. 2027 out-of-pocket maximums reach $12,000 per person and $24,000 per family.
- One window a year. Outside open enrollment you need a qualifying life event to enroll or switch.
What a private plan does differently
- Start any month. If approved, coverage can begin the first of next month, with no wait for open enrollment.
- Networks that travel. Many private plans use national PPO networks, which can give you in-network doctors outside Florida too. Networks vary by plan.
- Can cost less than full-price Marketplace plans for some healthy applicants above the subsidy line.
- Accident coverage the Marketplace does not offer. A private plan can be paired with accident coverage, a separate policy. What it includes varies by plan.
- Approval is based on health. You answer health questions, and acceptance is not guaranteed.
With a significant health condition, or income low enough for a large tax credit, a Marketplace plan can be the better fit, and I will tell you if it is. Either way you see both side by side.
Private plans are not ACA Marketplace plans. Benefits, exclusions and pre-existing condition rules differ by plan and by state, so review the plan details before you enroll.
Get a private plan quoteLearn more: coverage not based on income · how underwriting works · private vs Obamacare · PPO plans for individuals · switching from the Marketplace
Florida health insurance in 2027
Florida's finalized 2027 individual-market increase averages about 10.4 percent, below the national average, with small-group plans up about 11.4 percent. That headline matters a great deal here: Florida has the largest Marketplace in the country, and more people buy their own coverage in Florida than anywhere else.
- Marketplace rates: up 10.4% on average for 2027 (final).
- Benchmark silver plan, age 40: $738 a month in 2027, up from $683 in 2026.
- The subsidy cliff in Florida: earning $1 over $63,840 costs a single 60-year-old about $12,282 more a year for that plan, and $1 over $86,560 costs a 60-year-old couple about $28,767.
- Where to enroll: HealthCare.gov. Open enrollment runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027; choose by December 15 for coverage starting January 1.
More: Florida 2027 rate changes · 2027 subsidy cliff by state. General information, not tax advice.
How travel nurses work in Florida
Travel nurses in Florida usually sign with a staffing agency for a set assignment of a few months, then may wait weeks for the next start date. The staffing law Florida does spell out covers nurse registries, which place RNs and LPNs in private homes. Under section 400.506, a registry needs a license from the Agency for Health Care Administration, and the nurses it refers are independent contractors, not registry employees. That leaves many home care and per diem nurses without any group plan, and agency coverage often ends with the assignment, so each gap needs a plan.
Florida licensing for travel nurses
The Florida Board of Nursing belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact, and multistate licenses have been honored there since January 19, 2018. A nurse whose primary state of residence is another compact state can work in Florida on that home-state license. Nurses from states outside the compact apply for a Florida license by endorsement. The board says Florida law requires an initial review within 30 days, deficiency letters usually go out about 30 days after an application arrives, and the full process can take two to six months.
The Florida market for travel nurses
A study commissioned by the Florida Hospital Association projects a shortfall of about 59,100 nurses by 2035, roughly 37,400 RNs and 21,700 LPNs. The projection found large metros mostly short on LPNs, while rural counties and the Panhandle face the deepest RN gaps. Hospital vacancies have eased since 2022; the association reported a 2024 nursing vacancy rate of 7.8 percent, down 62 percent from 2022. An aging state keeps demand climbing, since more than one in five Floridians was 65 or older in 2024 census estimates.
Florida coverage rules that apply to you
- Leaving a job: If you leave an employer with fewer than 20 employees, Florida's Health Insurance Coverage Continuation Act lets you keep the group plan for up to 18 months, at up to 115 percent of the premium, if you notify the insurer in writing within 63 days.
- Short-term plans: Florida law allows short-term plans with an initial term under 12 months and up to 36 months in total, and federal agencies are not prioritizing enforcement of the federal four-month limit, so multi-month plans are sold in Florida.
- Where to enroll: Florida uses HealthCare.gov. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Private, medically underwritten plans can start the first of any month if approved.
- 2027 rates: individual plans 10.4% on average. See the Florida 2027 rate page.
The gap between contracts
Agency health plans usually end when an assignment ends, sometimes on the last day of that week or month. If your next contract starts three weeks later, you are uninsured in between unless you plan for it. Losing agency coverage opens a 60-day Marketplace special enrollment period, and if approved, a private plan can start the first of any month, so either can bridge the gap. Many travelers keep their own plan year-round and decline agency coverage so they never face a gap.
Keeping your own plan across states
A nurse who changes states every 13 weeks needs a plan that works where the contract is. Nationwide PPO networks travel well. A Marketplace plan is tied to your tax home, so if you work far from home you may have only emergency coverage there. Check the network for each assignment city before you sign.
Per diem and 1099 nursing
Per diem and independent contract nurses buy their own coverage and pay self-employment tax. Estimate a full year of net income for the Marketplace, including stipends only if they are taxable. General information, not tax advice — confirm with your CPA based on your specific entity structure.
When the Marketplace still makes sense
The Marketplace fits travel nurses with a significant health condition, because acceptance is guaranteed, and households whose 2027 income stays under 400 percent of the poverty level ($63,840 for one person, $132,000 for a family of four), where a tax credit lowers the price. Above that line it costs full price. The full guide for travel nurses goes deeper.
Quote for a travel nurse in Florida
Private plans priced first, with the Marketplace alongside when it fits. No fee.
Questions from Florida travel nurses
What license do travel nurses need in Florida?
The Florida Board of Nursing belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact, and multistate licenses have been honored there since January 19, 2018. A nurse whose primary state of residence is another compact state can work in Florida on that home-state license. Nurses from states outside the compact apply for a Florida license by endorsement. The board says Florida law requires an initial review within 30 days, deficiency letters usually go out about 30 days after an application arrives, and the full process can take two to six months.
How much are Florida health insurance premiums rising for 2027?
Individual-market premiums in Florida are set to rise 10.4% on average for 2027. Households above 400 percent of the poverty level get no tax credit and pay the full increase.
What happens to my coverage if I leave a job in Florida?
If you leave an employer with fewer than 20 employees, Florida's Health Insurance Coverage Continuation Act lets you keep the group plan for up to 18 months, at up to 115 percent of the premium, if you notify the insurer in writing within 63 days. Losing employer coverage also opens a 60-day Marketplace special enrollment period, and if approved, a private plan can start the first of any month.
Should a travel nurse take the agency's health plan?
It can work for back-to-back contracts, but coverage usually ends with the assignment. Nurses with gaps between contracts often keep their own plan instead.
Can a travel nurse buy a plan that works in every state?
Some private plans and some Marketplace plans use national PPO networks. Many Marketplace plans are local HMOs or EPOs, so check the network before you choose.
Sources: web.fha.org, www.fha.org, www.leg.state.fl.us, floridasnursing.gov. Facts checked October 2026. See all Florida health insurance rules.
Travel Nurses in other states
Written by Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance agent in Florida and 30 other states, NPN 21032307.