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Century Tower on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville

Gainesville · Alachua County

Gainesville health insurance broker. Help at life's turning points.

Free, licensed help for people in Gainesville and Alachua County. Turning 26, finishing school, or starting a new job? We check your tax credit, your doctors, and the full-year cost before you choose.

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Photo: "Century Tower (University of Florida)" by Kate Haskell, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped, resized, and converted to WebP.

Common questions

New stages of life
bring new questions.

About 1 in 3 Alachua County Marketplace shoppers in 2026 were ages 18 to 34. About 1 in 4 were new to the Marketplace. Here are three common questions for people who live in Gainesville.

“I'm turning 26. What happens to my coverage?”

You can usually stay on a parent's plan until you turn 26. Losing that coverage can let you sign up outside open enrollment. You can often pick a plan up to 60 days before or after it ends.

“My school or job plan is ending. What now?”

Losing other health coverage can qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period. You usually have 60 days to pick a plan. Dropping a plan on purpose, or not paying for it, usually does not count.

“Is my hospital in the plan?”

In 2026, 73 of Alachua County's 101 Marketplace plans were HMOs. Another 14 were PPOs and 14 were POS plans. An HMO usually pays only for doctors and hospitals in its network, except in an emergency.

Alachua County by the numbers

How Alachua County
shops for coverage.

Gainesville is the largest city in Alachua County. Here is what the latest numbers show.

39,471

people in Alachua County picked a 2026 Marketplace plan during open enrollment.

About 1 in 4

of those shoppers were new to the Marketplace in 2026.

About 1 in 3

of those shoppers were ages 18 to 34.

93 in 100

of Alachua County's 2026 shoppers got a tax credit.

101 plans

from 4 insurance companies were on Alachua County's 2026 list.

About 10 in 100

people under 65 in Alachua County had no health insurance in 2024. The Florida rate was about 14 in 100.

Sources: CMS 2026 Open Enrollment data and 2026 plan data, and U.S. Census Bureau (2025 population estimates and 2024 health insurance estimates). Your plans, prices, and tax credit depend on your ZIP code, household, and income.

Paul Daniels
Paul DanielsLicensed health advisor · NPN 20986580

How we help

A licensed advisor
for Gainesville.

Daniels Health Advisors is an independent brokerage, so we are not tied to one insurance company. We pull up every Alachua County plan you can buy. Then we check them for your doctors, the hospital you would use, and the total cost for the year. If this is your first plan of your own, we walk you through each step.

  • Easy-to-follow answers, no pressure
  • Licensed in 30+ U.S. states · Paul Daniels, NPN 20986580 · FL license G065122
  • Free to you. Carriers pay us, not you.

How it works

Three simple steps.

Tell us who needs coverage

Share everyone's age and your home ZIP code in Gainesville or Alachua County.

Check for a tax credit

We use your best guess of next year's household income to see what help you may get.

Check your doctors, then choose

We look up your doctors, hospital, and medicines in each plan. Then you make the choice.

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Free · No obligation · About a 15-minute call

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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

What you get

Your own plan,
set up right.

If you skip these checks, you could pick a plan your doctor does not take. You could also miss your sign-up window after other coverage ends. Here is what you take away from our call:

  • Your sign-up dates checked, if other coverage is ending
  • A yes or no for each of your doctors and your hospital, plan by plan
  • A tax credit estimate you understand, and a plan to update it if your income changes
  • One yearly number for each plan that adds up the premium, deductible, and copays

Hospitals in Gainesville

Each Alachua County plan has its own network. Look up the hospital you would use in each plan before you sign up.

  • UF Health Shands HospitalGainesville
  • HCA Florida North Florida HospitalGainesville

This is not a list of in-network hospitals for any plan. Networks can change each year.

Straight answers

Gainesville health insurance questions.

Which companies offered Marketplace plans in Alachua County for 2026?

Alachua County plans for 2026 came from 4 companies: Ambetter Health, AvMed, Florida Blue, and Oscar. The 2027 list should be posted around November 1, 2026, when open enrollment starts.

When can I sign up if I'm turning 26?

Losing coverage on a parent's plan can qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period. You can often apply up to 60 days before that coverage ends, and up to 60 days after. Plan ahead so you don't have a gap.

Is UF Health Shands Hospital in every plan?

Don't assume it is. Each plan picks its own hospitals and doctors, and most Alachua County plans are HMOs. Look up the hospital in each plan's directory before you enroll.

Can I get a PPO in Alachua County?

Some. Of Alachua County's 101 Marketplace plans for 2026, 14 were PPOs and 14 were POS plans; the other 73 were HMOs. A PPO usually lets you see doctors outside its network, but you often pay more when you do. If your tax credit is small or zero, a private PPO plan may be another option to look at. Some private plans ask health questions, and approval is not guaranteed. Some may not cover care for health problems you had before you enrolled.

What if my income is very low?

As of October 4, 2026, Florida has not expanded Medicaid. Some adults with income below the poverty level do not qualify for Medicaid or for a tax credit. It is still worth applying, because children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities may qualify. Community health centers also charge based on what you can pay.

When is open enrollment for 2027 coverage?

As of October 4, 2026, under current law, you can sign up from November 1, 2026, through January 15, 2027. A court case about these dates is still on appeal, so check HealthCare.gov. To start coverage January 1, pick a plan by December 15. Outside those dates, you usually need a life event, such as a move or losing other coverage. Our Florida open enrollment guide has the details.

More help nearby

Ocala Jacksonville Special enrollment in Florida Lost your job? Coverage options Self-employed health insurance Nationwide private PPO plans All areas we serve

Open enrollment starts November 1

Comparing plans in Gainesville or Alachua County?

Set up a free 15-minute call, or start a quote online. No pressure, and no obligation to enroll.

Book a 15-minute call Get a quote online

By Paul Daniels, licensed health insurance agent (NPN 20986580). Local facts checked October 4, 2026.

Disclaimer

Daniels Health Advisors LLC is an independent insurance brokerage—not HealthCare.gov, CMS, FLOIR, or a carrier. Availability, premiums, networks, deductibles, and subsidies vary by zip, household, and plan year. Nothing here is medical, legal, or tax advice, or a guarantee of savings, approval, any-doctor access, or a “best” plan. Official: HealthCare.gov. Verify licensing via NPN. Gainesville / Alachua County / North Central Florida.