Healthy Professionals Purchase Health Insurance Now Through Private PPO Plans

BOCA RATON, Fla., July 16, 2026 (Newswire.com) - Health Insurance Now reports growing interest in private, off-exchange coverage as Affordable Care Act Marketplace insurers raise premiums by an average of about 26 percent in 2026 and enhanced subsidies expire, prompting healthy professionals to take a fresh look at their options and, increasingly, to purchase health insurance now outside the exchange.

For consumers who no longer qualify for meaningful subsidies, the traditional advantage of the Marketplace narrows. That has renewed interest in private PPO plans built around broad doctor networks and nationwide coverage rather than the narrower HMO networks common on the exchanges. When the price gap between an exchange plan and a comparable private plan closes, network breadth and physician access often become the tie-breaker.

The 2026 premium increases are among the steepest in years, and they arrive just as the enhanced premium tax credits that lowered costs through 2025 come off the table. For a healthy professional who rarely hits a deductible, the math shifts: the subsidy that once made a Marketplace plan the obvious choice is smaller or gone, while the plan's narrower network stays the same. That combination is sending more shoppers to compare what the private market offers before renewing.

"When the subsidy isn't doing the heavy lifting anymore, the conversation changes," said Matthew Sechter, CEO of Health Insurance Now. "People start asking what they actually get - which doctors, which hospitals, what happens when they travel. That's where private PPO coverage often wins."

The agency compares private options across 25 top carriers and can build a custom quote by phone in about five minutes. Its 25 years of experience help clients weigh premium, network and out-of-pocket exposure side by side, so the decision rests on total value rather than headline price alone. For self-employed individuals and business owners in particular, a PPO that travels with them across state lines can matter as much as the monthly premium.

Healthy professionals are often the buyers with the most to gain from shopping the private market. Because they use less care in a typical year, a plan's network and flexibility frequently outweigh the value of a low deductible, and they are well positioned to trade a Marketplace plan for a private PPO that keeps their physician in network. Health Insurance Now walks each client through those trade-offs rather than defaulting them to a single exchange option.

The off-exchange market has drawn steadily more attention as subsidies recede. Buyers who once filtered every choice through the Marketplace are now comparing plans they would not have considered a year ago, from broad-network PPOs to plans that pair nationwide access with predictable cost sharing. For those who travel for work or split time between states, the ability to see in-network providers far from home can be the difference between a plan that fits their life and one that only fits their ZIP code.

Sechter expects the trend to continue. "Doctor choice is becoming the deciding factor again," he said. "For a lot of professionals, a plan that lets them keep their physician is worth shopping the private market for."

Consumers weighing their 2026 options can call to compare carriers, review PPO networks with a custom, no-cost quote in about five minutes.

About Health Insurance Now: Health Insurance Now is a private health insurance brokerage based in Boca Raton, Florida, serving self-employed individuals, business owners and entrepreneurs nationwide. With access to 25 top carriers and 25 years of industry experience, the agency delivers custom quotes in about five minutes by phone and specializes in private PPO plans with broad doctor networks and nationwide coverage.

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Media Contact: Matthew Sechter, Health Insurance Now, 866-243-1130, 980 N Federal Highway, Ste 308, Boca Raton, FL 33432, https://healthinsurancenow.com

SOURCE: Health Insurance Now

Source: Health Insurance Now