Doctor in a white coat with a stethoscope talking on a phone in a clinic hallway

For private practice, locums & new attendings · Licensed in 20 U.S. states

Health insurance
for doctors.

Coverage for you and your family when you leave a hospital job, open your own practice, take locum tenens shifts on a 1099, or finish residency with no plan lined up.

Private & Secure
Fast Response
No Spam Calls

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On the wards and in clinic

You know medicine.
Buying a plan is new.

Many physicians have had coverage through a hospital or group for years. Three moments bring doctors to us:

My residency ends this summer.

Your program's coverage may end when your training contract does. If a new job's plan does not start right away, losing that coverage can open a special enrollment period. Get the exact end date from your program.

I take locum shifts in other states.

For 2027, Florida's regulator lists only HMO and EPO networks for individual ACA plans. Marketplace plans must cover emergency care, even out of network, but routine visits while you are on assignment may cost more, or may not be covered, out of network. Ask how each plan treats care away from home.

I am opening my own practice.

Until you have at least one full-time-equivalent employee who is not an owner, a partner, a spouse, or a family member, the SHOP small-business program is not open to you. A personal or family plan usually covers you in the meantime.

Close-up of a doctor's hand writing notes in a notebook on a wooden desk — Photo: Pexels photo 5452229 by Tima Miroshnichenko, used under the Pexels License. Cropped, resized, and converted to WebP. Modified from the original.

How physician pay works

Salary, 1099 shifts, and practice income.

The Marketplace bases tax credits on your household income for the year you are covered.

Locum tenens and moonlighting shifts paid on a 1099 count as self-employment income. Use what you expect after business expenses.
If you own a practice, use what you expect it to net this year, not total collections.
A spouse's pay counts in household income. A spouse's job plan can also affect a tax credit and the premium deduction.

Physicians in numbers

Fewer than one in 25
physicians is self-employed.

28,500

U.S. physicians counted as self-employed in 2025.

3.5%

is the self-employed share of physicians (2025).

28,500

Self-employed physicians BLS projects for 2035.

Source: BLS Employment Projections, self-employed workers by occupation (2025 and projected 2035). U.S. group figures only.

Paul DanielsLicensed health advisor · NPN 20986580

Working with Paul

Coverage help for
doctors on their own.

Daniels Health Advisors is an independent brokerage licensed in 20 U.S. states, run by Paul Daniels. We help physicians who are stepping off a hospital or group plan for the first time. We usually start with Marketplace plans, which follow ACA rules. If you want a wider network or work in more than one state, we also compare private PPO options, and our nationwide PPO guide for remote workers and travelers explains care away from home. Some private plans ask health questions, and approval is not guaranteed. Some may not cover care for health problems you had before you enrolled.

A medical society or specialty group may mail you a member health offer. We are not tied to any society. If you have one, send it over and we will price it beside individual and family options.

Short calls that fit around rounds
Licensed in 20 U.S. states · Paul Daniels, NPN 20986580 · FL license G065122
You do not pay us for our help. We are paid by the insurance companies when you enroll. Your price for a plan is the same whether you use us or sign up on your own. Commissions can differ by company.

Your first call

Doctor coverage in three steps.

Walk us through your pay

Hospital W-2, locum 1099s, practice draws, or a mix, plus the date your current plan ends.

We project your income

Salary, shift pay, and practice earnings go into a single household estimate for the Marketplace.

Check the hospitals you use

We confirm the hospitals and specialists your family relies on are in each plan's network.

Book a 15-minute call

Recommended on Facebook

What people say
about working with us.

“I’ve know Paul for years and definitely trust him in the health advisor dept! Working with small business owners he has been a great partner with explain options and provide solutions!”

Sandra D.
Facebook recommendation

“Paul was very helpful in my search for business group insurance. He was able to explain my options and answer all the questions I had before signing up. Highly recommend working with him!”

Adil J.
Facebook recommendation

Before your last day

A plan in place
before coverage ends.

Locum pay tends to arrive in bursts. If a busy quarter lifts your real income past the number on your application, some advance credit may have to be repaid when you file. Under current law, starting with 2026 taxes, there is no cap on that payback. Before you pick, we look up the doctors your family sees. You leave the call with:

One yearly number that covers salary, shifts, and practice pay
A start date that lines up with the end of your current coverage
A network check on the hospitals and specialists you rely on
A note on whether a spouse's plan changes your options

A checklist for

Doctors changing jobs or going independent.

Get the exact date your hospital or residency coverage ends, in writing if you can.
For a Marketplace plan, you may be able to apply up to 60 days before that coverage ends, and up to 60 days after.
Keep a simple record of 1099 shift pay and expenses by month.
Hiring staff soon? Ask about small-group options before your first hire starts.

Doctor questions

Doctor health insurance FAQ.

I am a 1099 locum tenens physician. Can you help?

Yes. Add up what you expect to earn from each assignment after business expenses, plus any W-2 pay, for your household income estimate. Then we compare plans with the network questions that matter when you travel.

Can I keep my hospital plan after I leave?

Often, through COBRA. Federal COBRA generally applies to employers with 20 or more employees. It lasts for a limited time, and you may have to pay up to 102% of the plan's cost. Many doctors compare COBRA with a Marketplace or private plan. See our COBRA alternative guide.

Does being a doctor lower the price of my own plan?

No. Your job does not set the price. Under ACA rules, Marketplace plans and other individual plans that follow those rules can vary premiums only by whether the plan covers one person or a family, where you live, age, and tobacco use.

My new practice has two employees. What now?

Once you have at least one full-time-equivalent employee who is not an owner, a partner, an owner's spouse, or a family member, you may qualify for the SHOP small-business program. Other small-group plans set their own rules. See our small business health insurance in Florida guide.

Can I write off my health insurance?

Maybe. If you are self-employed and your business makes a profit, your premiums may be deductible on IRS Form 7206. You can't take it for any month you could get a subsidized job plan, including through a spouse. Ask your tax pro.

Do I have to wait for open enrollment?

For a private plan (not from the Marketplace), you can often apply any time of year. Some private plans ask health questions, and approval is not guaranteed. Some may not cover care for health problems you had before you enrolled. Marketplace plans, and other plans that follow ACA rules, work differently. As of October 21, 2026, under current law, open enrollment for 2027 plans runs from November 1, 2026, to January 15, 2027. As of October 21, 2026, a federal appeal about these dates is pending (City of Columbus v. Kennedy, 4th Cir. No. 26-1938), with oral argument set for October 30, 2026. Confirm the dates before you enroll. To start coverage January 1, pick a plan by December 15 (the deadline under current law). Outside those dates, you may need a special enrollment period. Losing job-based coverage is one example.

Get covered before
your next shift.

Pick a free 15-minute call time that works with your schedule, or get a quote online.

Book a 15-minute call Get a quote online

By Paul Daniels, licensed insurance agent (NPN 20986580).

Disclaimer

Daniels Health Advisors LLC is an independent brokerage, not a carrier, HealthCare.gov, or CMS. Agent: Paul Daniels, NPN 20986580, Florida license G065122. This page is about personal and family health insurance. It is not malpractice, disability, or business insurance. We do not represent any medical society or professional association. Job numbers are from public government data and describe groups of workers, not you. Tax credits, plans, networks, and prices depend on your state, zip code, income, and household. We never guarantee approval, a doctor, or a price. Not medical, legal, or tax advice.

Health insurancefor doctors.

You know medicine.Buying a plan is new.