A Tampa Health Insurance Broker You Can Actually Sit Down With
My office is on E Hillsborough Ave, about fifteen minutes from downtown. That matters more than it sounds like it should — because when your coverage question gets complicated, you can reach a person who lives here, not a queue. I'm an independent broker, which means I'm not handing you one company's brochure. I work the under-65 market: self-employed folks, 1099 contractors, families, and small business owners around Tampa Bay who buy their own coverage and want someone to tell them straight what fits.
Who is Michalek Health Solutions?
Michalek Health Solutions is an independent health insurance brokerage in Tampa, Florida, led by Ryan Michalek (licensed in 31 states). A broker like Ryan works the under-65 market — self-employed folks, 1099 contractors, families, and small business owners around Tampa Bay — comparing private and marketplace options on your real numbers, at no cost to you (the carriers pay the broker, not you). You get one person who picks up the phone when the first statement looks wrong, instead of a call center that's never heard of you.
Heads-up for 2027: Open Enrollment generally runs November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027 — enroll by December 15 for a January 1 start. With the enhanced subsidies scaled back, many self-employed people in Florida are seeing higher premiums for 2027, so if you're near the income cutoff it's worth re-running your numbers. See the full 2027 Open Enrollment guide or run your numbers in the estimator.
What an independent broker in Tampa actually does
There are plenty of health insurance brokers and agents in Tampa, and from the outside we all look about the same. Most people find me after an afternoon of tabs — a marketplace site, a couple of quote forms that immediately started calling, and no clear sense of what any of it means for them. Here's the short version of my job. I'm an independent health insurance broker, so I'm not tied to a single company and I don't get paid more for steering you one way. I look at your situation, lay the real options side by side, say plainly what each one won't cover, and let you choose. Here's exactly how I'm paid, because you should know that before you trust anyone's recommendation.
The part people don't expect: the work continues after you enroll. When the first statement shows up and looks wrong, or a provider says something that contradicts what you thought you bought, you call me — not a support line that's never heard of you.
Who I work with around Tampa Bay
Tampa runs on people who work for themselves. Hospitality and service, trades and construction, real estate, healthcare contractors, port and logistics, and a steady stream of new LLCs. Almost none of them have an employer plan to fall back on, and that's most of my day.
- Self-employed and 1099 contractors buying their own coverage for the first time
- LLC and small business owners covering themselves, and sometimes a small team
- Realtors, trades, and hospitality pros whose income moves month to month
- Families who need one plan to work for everyone in the house
- Early retirees bridging the years to Medicare at 65
- Anyone who just lost employer coverage and has a clock running
Everything I place is under-65 coverage. If you're already 65 or shopping Medicare itself, that's not my lane — I'll point you to someone who does it well.
Marketplace or private coverage — which fits you
Florida uses the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace, and for a lot of Tampa households that's genuinely the right answer — it's guaranteed-issue, and if your income qualifies you for a subsidy it's often hard to beat. But plenty of self-employed people here earn a little too much to qualify, or want more doctor flexibility than a narrow network offers. Privately underwritten plans can be an option in those cases, though approval involves health questions and isn't automatic. Which side actually fits depends on your household, your income, and your doctors — so I run both and show you the comparison rather than starting with a recommendation. Here's how the two compare.
When you can enroll
Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage generally runs November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027, and you'll want to be enrolled by December 15 for a January 1 start. Outside that window, a qualifying life event — losing other coverage, moving, marriage, divorce, a new baby — typically opens a special enrollment period of about 60 days. Many private under-65 plans can be applied for year-round. If you're not sure which window you're in, check whether you qualify to enroll now or just call and I'll tell you in about a minute.
Why local still matters for this
You can buy health insurance from anyone, anywhere. What you can't get from a call center is a health insurance consultant who knows the Tampa provider landscape, who'll pick up when you're standing at a front desk being told something confusing, and who has to live with their reputation in the same city you do. I'm a Tampa Bay Chamber member and my name is on this in a way a 1-800 number never is. That's the whole pitch.
I'm licensed in 31 states, so if you move or run a business across state lines, you likely don't have to start over with a new broker. (Ryan Michalek, NPN 21043091 — verifiable in the national producer registry.)
A recent one, and a Tampa neighbor: A guy called me from across town. Self-employed, wife and two kids, and he earns past the line where the subsidy helps — so a marketplace plan for four was a second mortgage.
He'd gone online looking for help. What he said he wanted was someone local.
We talked through what his family actually uses in a year, and where he could carry risk versus where he couldn't. He went the underwritten route and the family was approved at a number that worked. He runs an S-corp, so there's a tax piece he and his accountant handle from there.
He's a short drive from my office. When something comes up, he calls me and I pick up.
Quick answers for Tampa.
Where is your office in Tampa?
Michalek Health Solutions is on E Hillsborough Ave, Ste 1202, about fifteen minutes from downtown Tampa. You're working with Ryan Michalek, a local advisor who lives here, not an out-of-state call center.
Do I have to meet in person?
No. Most of my clients do everything by phone or video and never come in. The point of being local isn't that you have to show up — it's that you could, and that I'm reachable when something goes sideways.
What does it cost to work with a broker?
Nothing. Ryan Michalek at Michalek Health Solutions is paid by the insurance company when you enroll, not by you, so your premium is the same whether you use a broker or not. I'd rather you know that up front than wonder.
Can I get coverage in Tampa outside open enrollment?
Often, yes. A qualifying life event — losing other coverage, moving, marriage, divorce, or a new baby — typically opens a special enrollment period of about 60 days, and many private under-65 plans can be applied for year-round. Approval may involve underwriting, so it isn't automatic.
Do you only work with people in Tampa?
No. Tampa is home and where most of my clients are, but I'm licensed in 31 states — so if you move, or run a business across state lines, you generally don't have to start over with a new broker.
Broker, agent, consultant, advisor — what’s the difference?
Mostly the sign on the door. People use all four words for the same job, and the title on its own tells you very little. Two things actually matter: who pays the person, and whether they’ll tell you a plan is wrong for you. I’m a licensed health and life insurance agent (NPN 21043091) working as an independent broker in Tampa — the insurance company pays me when you enroll, never you, so your premium is the same either way. Ask anyone you talk to those two questions. Me included.
Do you handle Medicare?
No. Everything I place is under-65 coverage. If you're already 65 or shopping Medicare itself, I'll point you to a specialist who does it well rather than pretend it's my lane.
Explore coverage by situation.
Self-employed & 1099
Buying your own coverage as a freelancer, contractor, or solo business owner.
Explore self-employed →Families & individuals
Coverage for your household, built around your budget and doctors.
Explore family coverage →COBRA & coverage gaps
COBRA ending, between jobs, or losing a plan? Move fast and avoid a gap.
See gap options →Moving to a new state
A move can open a special window — and your plan may not cross state lines.
What changes when you move →Covering a team? Explore small business & group coverage → · See all service areas →
Related guides: Florida statewide · Special enrollment · Self-employed & 1099 · COBRA alternatives · Private vs. ACA · Short-term vs. ACA · What coverage costs · ACA subsidies
A real person, a short drive away — not a call center. No spam, no pressure — just someone local who actually picks up.
Let's find your Tampa coverage.
Tell me your situation and I'll lay out what's actually available to you, in plain English, from someone whose office is a few miles from yours. No fee to work with me and no pressure to enroll — just an honest comparison.