My startup does not offer health benefits. What are my options in West Palm Beach?

You would buy individual coverage rather than wait for the company to offer a plan. That means an ACA Marketplace plan, a private PPO sold off-exchange, or short-term medical if you are bridging a gap. If several people at your company are in the same position, it is worth showing your founder what a small group plan would actually cost, since owners often assume it is out of reach before checking.

Can I deduct health insurance premiums if I am self-employed?

Self-employed individuals may be able to deduct health insurance premiums for themselves and their families, subject to income and eligibility rules. I am a licensed insurance broker, not a CPA, so confirm the details with your accountant before you rely on it. I can provide whatever premium documentation they need.

Should I look at life insurance as well as health insurance?

If someone depends on your income, you own a practice with a partner, or you carry a mortgage, it is worth a short conversation even if you decide against it. Life insurance rates are based on your age and health at the time you apply, so waiting generally costs money. Michael D'Angelo is licensed in health, life and annuities, so it can be handled in the same call.

How much does it cost to use a health insurance broker?

Nothing. Brokers are paid a commission by the insurance carrier once a policy is issued. The premium is identical whether you enroll on your own or with my help, so there is no added fee for using a broker.

West Palm Beach · Palm Beach County

Health insurance for West Palm Beach business owners and 1099 professionals

Q: Should my medical practice offer a group plan?

It depends on headcount, the age mix of your staff, and how much you want to contribute per person. A small group plan is the right call for some practices and too expensive for others, in which case helping your team enroll in individual coverage may serve them better. I run the numbers both ways so it is a comparison rather than a guess.

I'm Michael D'Angelo, a licensed health and life insurance broker based in Palm Beach County. Most of my clients here are running a practice, working on contract, or sitting at a startup that doesn't offer benefits yet. Different situations, same problem: no HR department to hand you a plan, and no obvious place to start.

Call or text (561) 316-7895 Request a free quote

Licensed in Florida (License G147091) and 27 other states · First Family Insurance · No fee to you

Michael D'Angelo, licensed health and life insurance broker serving West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County, Florida

Who I work with in Palm Beach County

West Palm Beach has an unusual concentration of people who earn well and have no employer plan behind them. That's most of my book here.

Practice owners & physicians

You understand medicine better than I ever will. That doesn't make the insurance market any less opaque. Whether it's coverage for you and your family or a decision about what to offer your staff, the question is usually the same one: what does this actually cost, and what do I get.

Startup teams without benefits

Plenty of downtown companies are past the point of hiring but not yet offering health coverage. If you're an employee in that spot you're buying individually — and if you're the founder, there are cheaper ways to solve it than you'd think.

1099 professionals

Attorneys, consultants, financial advisors, real estate agents, contractors. Your income moves, which affects your subsidy eligibility, which affects what you owe at tax time. Getting the projection right matters more than most people realize.

Business owners with a few employees

Under 50 employees you're not required to offer coverage — but if you want to hire well, you probably want to. Whether a group plan or helping your team onto individual coverage makes more sense comes down to headcount and age mix, and the two price very differently.

Group plan or individual coverage?

If you own a practice or run a small company, this is the decision worth twenty minutes of your time.

Traditional small group

The company buys one plan and everyone enrolls in it. Predictable for employees, and premiums are generally deductible as a business expense. The catch is that your rate is tied to your group's age and size, and it renews every year — sometimes uncomfortably.

Individual coverage

For anyone buying on their own: ACA Marketplace plans with income-based subsidies, private PPO plans sold off-exchange, short-term medical for gaps, plus standalone dental and vision. This is where most 1099 professionals and startup employees land.

I'll price both side by side. If a group plan genuinely beats individual coverage for your situation, I'll tell you that — it happens.

Keeping your doctors

The most common regret I hear is from people who picked on premium alone and discovered afterward that their specialist was out of network.

Palm Beach County has a dense hospital landscape and networks vary more than you'd expect between plans. The Palm Beach Health Network alone includes Good Samaritan Medical Center, St. Mary's Medical Center, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, Delray Medical Center and West Boca Medical Center. There are also the HCA Florida hospitals, Jupiter Medical Center, and the Baptist Health facilities to the south. A plan that covers one system well may not cover another.

Send me the names of the doctors you want to keep — including specialists your family already sees — and I'll verify each one against the provider directory for every plan before you enroll. It takes me a few minutes and it's the single most useful thing I do for people.

Florida enrollment deadlines

Florida uses the federal Marketplace at HealthCare.gov, so these dates apply everywhere in Palm Beach County.

2027 coverage year

November 1, 2026 Open Enrollment opens. Plans, prices, and networks for 2027 become visible.
December 15, 2026 Last day to enroll for coverage that starts January 1, 2027.
January 15, 2027 Expected close of Open Enrollment. Enrolling after December 15 generally means coverage starts February 1.

The final deadline this year is tied up in a federal appeal, so treat December 15 as your real deadline — it guarantees a January 1 start no matter how the case is decided.

Small group plans work differently — a business can start one at any point in the year, not just during Open Enrollment. If you're weighing what to offer your staff, there's no reason to wait until November to run the numbers.

For individuals outside Open Enrollment, you'll need a Special Enrollment Period triggered by a qualifying life event: losing employer coverage, moving, marriage or divorce, or having a baby. Most give you 60 days from the event.

Life insurance

Most people here come to me for health coverage and end up asking about this second. Rates are based on your age and health on the day you apply, which is the entire reason it's worth a conversation now rather than at renewal.

Term — covering the years that matter

The straightforward one, and usually the cheapest. You pick a length — 10, 20, 30 years — and a death benefit, and the rate is locked for that whole period. Most people size it around the mortgage, the years until the kids are through school, and whatever income the household would need replaced. If you're young and healthy, the number is often lower than you're expecting.

Practice and business coverage

If you own a practice with a partner, a buy-sell agreement funded by life insurance is what keeps the surviving partner from ending up in business with someone's spouse. Key person coverage does something similar for a company that would struggle if a specific person disappeared. And if you've taken an SBA loan, the lender likely already requires a policy assigned as collateral — worth checking whether what you have is priced competitively.

Whole life and indexed universal life

Permanent policies that build cash value alongside the death benefit, growing tax-deferred. They cost considerably more than term for the same coverage, so they make sense for a narrower set of situations — usually high earners who've already maxed out other tax-advantaged accounts, or families planning around an estate. I'll walk you through the illustration honestly, including what the projected numbers are and aren't guaranteeing.

No obligation to bundle anything. Plenty of clients set up health coverage with me and take a year to think about the rest.

Common questions

What Palm Beach County clients ask me most.

My company doesn't offer benefits. What do I do?

You buy individually — you don't have to wait for your employer. Depending on your income and situation that's an ACA Marketplace plan with a subsidy, a private PPO sold off-exchange, or short-term medical if you're bridging a few months. If several people on your team are in the same boat, it's worth showing your founder what a small group plan would actually cost. Owners often write it off before checking.

Should my practice offer a group plan?

Depends on headcount, the age mix of your staff, and how much you want to contribute per person. A group plan is the right call for some practices and too expensive for others — in which case helping your team enroll individually may serve them better. I'll run it both ways with real numbers so it's a comparison rather than a guess.

Can I write off my premiums?

Self-employed individuals can often deduct premiums for themselves and their families, and businesses can generally deduct what they contribute toward employee coverage — but eligibility rules apply and I'm a broker, not a CPA. Confirm with your accountant. I'll provide whatever premium documentation they need.

What does it cost to use a broker?

Nothing. Carriers pay brokers a commission when a policy is issued. Your premium is exactly the same whether you enroll alone through HealthCare.gov or have me do it with you.

I split time between Florida and up north. Does that work?

Common question here. It depends on the plan's network — some travel far better than others, and a few are effectively useless outside the county. Tell me where else you spend time and I'll factor it in. I'm licensed in Florida and 27 other states, so a second residence isn't a problem.

Should I be looking at life insurance too?

If someone depends on your income, or you own a practice with a partner, or you carry a mortgage — probably worth a fifteen-minute conversation, even if you decide against it. Rates are set by your age and health at application, so waiting costs money in a way that's easy to underestimate. I'm licensed in life and annuities as well as health, so it's the same phone call.

Areas served

West Palm BeachPalm Beach GardensPalm BeachNorth Palm Beach JupiterJuno BeachWellingtonRoyal Palm Beach Lake Worth BeachBoynton BeachDelray BeachBoca Raton Riviera BeachLoxahatcheePalm Beach County

Let's compare your options

Send a few details and I'll come back with what's available for your situation. No pressure, no obligation, and I won't sell your information to anyone.

Call or text

(561) 316-7895

Email · mdangelohealth@gmail.com

Instagram · @insurancemike_

Hours · Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm ET