Buying your own plan on the peninsula
Pinellas is the packed peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf, from St. Pete and the beach towns up through Clearwater, Largo, Dunedin and Tarpon Springs. Lots of people here wait tables, work hotel shifts, run a small shop or drive for an app. Others retired early and are counting the months to Medicare. Those situations rarely come with a job plan.
An ACA Marketplace plan covers pre-existing conditions, asks no health questions and caps what you pay in a year. If you retired early, the tax credit looks at your income for the year, not your savings, so read our early retiree guide. A fixed indemnity plan such as UnitedHealthcare Health ProtectorGuard (HPG) pays set cash amounts per service instead, a much smaller kind of coverage.
Who sells Marketplace plans in Pinellas County
In 2026, six companies sold Marketplace plans across all of Pinellas County: Florida Blue, Ambetter Health, Molina Healthcare, Oscar Health, Wellpoint and AvMed. Florida Blue listed the most, 68 plans, and it was the only one here with PPO, EPO and POS options.
| Company | Plans | Plan types | Metal levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Blue | 68 | EPO, HMO, POS, PPO | Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum |
| Ambetter Health | 19 | HMO | Bronze, Silver, Gold |
| Molina Healthcare | 19 | HMO | Bronze, Silver, Gold |
| Oscar Health | 19 | HMO | Bronze, Silver, Gold |
| Wellpoint | 13 | HMO | Catastrophic, Bronze, Silver, Gold |
| AvMed | 11 | HMO | Bronze, Silver, Gold |
Source: CMS Marketplace public use files, plan year 2026. Lists for 2027 can change; your quote shows the current plans.
The other five sold HMO plans only. With an HMO you usually pick a primary doctor and stay in the network, except in an emergency. UnitedHealthcare, which sells in Lee and Polk, didn't sell Marketplace plans in Pinellas in 2026. The 2027 list can change, and your quote always shows the current plans.
BayCare, All Children's and checking a network
The hospital system people ask about most here is BayCare, which runs several hospitals in the county, including Morton Plant in Clearwater and St. Anthony's in St. Petersburg. Parents also ask about Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Pete.
Networks change from plan to plan, even inside one company. Before you choose, search for your doctors and hospital in that exact plan's directory, and call the office if anything looks unclear.
Plenty of people cross the bridges to work in Tampa. You still shop Pinellas plans, since choices follow where you live, but check any doctors you'd use over there. The Hillsborough County page covers that side.
Prices in Pinellas County
Below are live prices at age 40 for the three HPG plans, with the quote date, plus ACA prices when we have them. HPG prices came out the same in all 12 Florida counties we quoted.
UnitedHealthcare Health ProtectorGuard here, woman age 40, no tobacco
- Select 2000$145.80a month
- Preferred 4000$229.71a month
- Premier 5000$313.19a month
Source: October 24, 2026, ZIP 33756.
ACA Marketplace
ACA prices depend on your income and age. Run the form to see your exact prices with your tax credit.
Marketplace prices depend on your age, ZIP and income, and many people get a tax credit that lowers them. For 2027 there's no credit above 400% of the poverty level, $63,840 for one person. Our subsidies page walks through it.
Fixed indemnity is not full health insurance. HPG pays a set amount per service, for example $80 per doctor visit on Select 2000, whatever the bill. It has no out-of-pocket maximum, isn't minimum essential coverage, asks health questions, and can pay far less than a hospital charges.
Pinellas County ZIP codes
We list 48 ZIP codes for Pinellas, from 33701 in downtown St. Petersburg to 34698 in Dunedin. Put yours in the form and the quote shows the plans for that ZIP.
ZIP codes in Pinellas County. If yours spans two counties, the form asks which one.
337013370233703337043370533706337073370833709337103371133712337133371433715337163374433755337563375933760337613376233763337643376533767337703377133772337733377433776337773377833781337823378533786346773468134683346843468534688346893469534698
When you can enroll for 2027
Open Enrollment runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Sign up by December 15 and your plan starts January 1. We aren't HealthCare.gov or a government site. You compare here, then finish the Marketplace application on HealthSherpa, which connects to the federal Marketplace.
- Open Enrollment opens
- Last day to pick a plan that starts January 1
- Open Enrollment ends. Plans picked from Dec 16 start February 1
After that you need a Special Enrollment Period (a life event like losing coverage, moving, marriage or a baby). Medicaid and Florida KidCare take applications any time.
Source: HealthCare.gov dates for 2027 coverage
Outside those dates you need a qualifying life event, such as losing coverage or moving. See special enrollment, or browse other counties from the Florida index.
Common questions
How many companies sold Obamacare plans in Pinellas County in 2026?
Six: Florida Blue, Ambetter Health, Molina Healthcare, Oscar Health, Wellpoint and AvMed. Only Florida Blue had PPO plans here.
Can I get a plan that uses BayCare hospitals?
We can't promise it, because networks vary by plan. Look up the BayCare hospital and your doctors in each plan's directory before you enroll, or ask a licensed agent to check with you.
I live in Clearwater but work in Tampa. Which plans can I buy?
Pinellas plans, because plans follow where you live. If you want doctors near work, check that they're in the network.
Is there a Catastrophic plan in Pinellas?
In 2026, Wellpoint was the only company here with a Catastrophic plan. Those are for people under 30 or with a hardship exemption.
Do HPG prices change between St. Pete and Clearwater?
No. HPG prices depend on age, sex and tobacco use, and were the same in every Florida county we quoted. HPG isn't an ACA plan, so no tax credit applies.