Written and reviewed by Emily Daza, licensed health insurance advisor, NPN 21284721 · Updated October 27, 2026
What is the best private health insurance for travel nurses?
For a healthy travel nurse, the best private option is usually a PPO plan you own, with a nationwide network, so coverage doesn't end when an assignment does and you can see in-network doctors in the next state without a referral. Agency plans can stop between contracts and some start only after a waiting period. COBRA bridges a gap for up to 18 months, at full cost. Source: U.S. Department of Labor
Why health insurance is the hardest part of travel nursing
- Your agency plan ends on your last shift, and the next contract doesn't start for three weeks.
- The new agency's coverage only kicks in after a waiting period, so you're uninsured at the start of the assignment.
- Every new agency means a new plan, a new network and a deductible that starts over.
- Your doctors are back home, but you're in a different state every 13 weeks.
- You're not sure whether to give your tax home address or your assignment address when you apply.
- You took a 1099 contract, so there's no agency plan at all. See how Emily helps travel nurses.
How Emily helps travel nurses find one plan that travels
- A plan you own, not your agency. Private PPO quotes based on your tax home ZIP and age, so coverage doesn't depend on who you sign with next.
- Network checked for your next assignments. Before you apply, Emily's team checks that the plan's PPO network reaches the states and hospitals on your list.
- Licensed in 31+ states. That matters if your tax home isn't in Florida. Ask Emily whether she can write a plan where you live.
- A gap plan, not a gamble. Agency plan, private PPO or COBRA: she maps out which one covers you from the last day of this contract to the first day of the next.
- Honest about ACA plans. Emily only sells private PPO plans. If you have a pre-existing condition or your income qualifies for a big subsidy, she'll say so and point you to HealthCare.gov.
- In English or Spanish. By phone, wherever your assignment is. Health insurance for travel nurses.
What happens to your health insurance between travel nurse contracts?
Agency coverage is job-based: it usually starts and ends with the assignment. Some agencies cover you from day one, others only after a waiting period, and the rules change every time you switch agencies. Ask your recruiter for the exact start and end dates in writing before you sign.
When a job plan ends, COBRA may let you keep it. It applies to employers with 20 or more employees, lasts up to 18 months after your job ends, and you have 60 days to elect it. The catch: you pay the full premium, including the part your employer used to pay, plus 2%. Source: U.S. Department of Labor
Losing job-based coverage also opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period on HealthCare.gov, before or after the loss. Source: HealthCare.gov A private PPO avoids the stop-start altogether: it isn't tied to an employer, so it stays in force between contracts. Approval depends on your health answers. Losing employer coverage.
Why does a nationwide PPO network matter when you move every 13 weeks?
A PPO lets you see any doctor in its network without a referral, and pays something toward out-of-network care, usually at a higher cost to you. An HMO generally covers only its own network, except in emergencies. Source: HealthCare.gov
For a nurse who works in a different state every few months, that difference is everything. A local HMO built around one metro area can leave you paying out of pocket for a routine visit near your assignment. A PPO with a nationwide network lets you keep one plan, one ID card and one deductible across states, instead of starting over with each agency.
"Nationwide" varies by plan, so check it every time: are the urgent care clinics and specialists near your next hospital in network? Are your prescriptions covered? Emily's team runs that check before you apply and again before each new assignment. PPO vs HMO, explained.
What does your tax home have to do with your health insurance?
The IRS defines your tax home as your regular place of business or post of duty, not simply where your family lives. An assignment in one place that is realistically expected to last more than a year is treated as indefinite, and if you have no regular place of business and no place you regularly live, your tax home is wherever you work. Source: IRS Publication 463
This matters for insurance because individual plans are priced and approved based on where you live. Most travel nurses apply with their permanent home address, which is usually their tax home, not the address of a 13-week assignment. The address you give should match the home you actually keep.
This is general information, not tax advice: stipends and deductions depend on your situation, so confirm your tax home with a tax professional. If you work some contracts as 1099, read health insurance for 1099 workers.
Agency plan vs private PPO vs COBRA vs ACA: which fits a travel nurse?
There's no single best plan for every travel nurse. This is how the four routes compare.
| Agency plan | Private PPO | COBRA | ACA Marketplace | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who it fits | Nurses who stay with one agency and take contracts back to back | Healthy nurses who want one plan between contracts and across states | Nurses mid-treatment who need to keep the same plan short term | Anyone, including nurses with a pre-existing condition or who qualify for a subsidy |
| When it starts | Day one or after a waiting period, depending on the agency | Date you pick, often any time of year, subject to approval | Continues your last job plan if you elect it within 60 days | Open Enrollment, or a 60-day window after losing coverage |
| Between contracts | Often ends with the assignment | Stays in force; not tied to an employer | Up to 18 months after the job ends | Stays in force |
| Across states | Depends on the agency's plan | Nationwide PPO network on many plans; checked before you apply | Same network as the job plan | Depends on the plan you pick in your home state |
| Who pays | Agency pays part; your share comes out of pay | You pay the full premium; no subsidy | You pay the full premium plus 2% | You pay; possible tax credit based on income |
| Who helps you | Your agency's benefits team | Emily quotes and enrolls these | Your former employer's plan administrator | HealthCare.gov or a Marketplace navigator |
How it works
- Ten-minute call or form. Your tax home ZIP, age, upcoming assignments, doctors and prescriptions, and what your agency plan covers now.
- Emily checks the fit. Your health and income, so she knows whether a private PPO fits or you're better off with COBRA or an ACA plan.
- Network checked for your next states. Side-by-side private PPO options, with the network checked against your next assignments, in English or Spanish.
- Enroll and keep it between contracts. Emily stays your contact and re-checks the network before each new assignment.
Who is behind this guide?
- Emily Daza, licensed health insurance advisor, NPN 21284721, licensed in 31+ states.
- Rated 5.0 on Google by real clients, and has helped thousands of people find coverage.
- $2.3M+ in sales, all 4 Hope Awards and the Beacon Award, leading a team of 8.
- Born in Colombia and fluent in Spanish, working from 8050 SW 10th St, Plantation, FL. Call 954-695-4250.
- Nursing is a big, mobile workforce: there were 3,465,400 registered nurse jobs in the U.S. in 2025, and some nurses travel frequently. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Keep exploring
- Coverage: Travel nurses · Individual plans · Self-employed · Losing employer coverage · Dental and vision
- Guides: Private vs ACA · Open Enrollment · FAQ · All guides
- More articles: PPO vs HMO · Health insurance for 1099 workers · Cost of health insurance in Florida · Is a broker free?
- Near the office: Plantation · Fort Lauderdale · Miami · En español
