Licensed Independent Insurance Brokers, 30+ StatesCall us today: 863-270-9820
Call us today 863-270-9820
CAT adjusters between storms
Seasonal incomeRepayment riskYear-round plans
Between storm seasons

Feast in October, famine in March

CAT work can mean a huge fall and a quiet spring. Health insurance has to survive both. Here is how to handle the income estimate, the slow months and the years when everything changes at once.

How to estimate a CAT year for the Marketplace without a nasty tax-time surprise
Plans that stay the same price whether the season is busy or quiet
A checklist for the weeks before you deploy
Compare My OptionsCall 863-270-9820
$0Broker fee
30+States licensed
1Broker, not a queue
Plan for Storm Season
3 quick taps, then tell us where to send it
STEP 1 OF 2
Who needs coverage? *
What do you have right now? *
Did you get a premium tax credit (subsidy) this year? *
Plans and prices are set by county, so this is the one number we need up front.
No health questions here. No obligation.
One call from one licensed broker at 863-270-9820. No dialers, no transfers.
Our promise: your form goes into our own system and nowhere else. We never sell or share it with other agents or marketers. Only Moran Insurance Group will contact you.
Private, never sold. One broker calls you within 1 business day.
By Erik Moran, licensed health insurance broker (NPN 20970092) · Updated October 14, 2026
The estimate

Estimating a year you cannot predict

Quick answer

The Marketplace credit is based on your expected income for the coverage year and settled on your tax return. For a CAT adjuster that is a forecast of the weather. Estimate conservatively, report big changes during the year, and know that a busy season can erase a credit you were counting on. If you are healthy and your good years run well over the line, a private plan that ignores income entirely can be the calmer choice.

  • Use a realistic average year, not your best or worst.
  • Update your Marketplace income as soon as a deployment makes your year clearer. That adjusts the credit for the remaining months.
  • Remember that starting with tax year 2026, the old repayment caps are gone.
  • Talk to your tax preparer about retirement contributions in a big year, which lower MAGI.
Slow months

Do not let coverage lapse in the quiet season

The months between storms are when adjusters cancel coverage to save money and then need it. Dropping a plan voluntarily does not give you a special enrollment period to get back on the Marketplace, so a lapse can last until the next open enrollment. A private plan can be applied for any month if you are healthy, but an application during an illness is a different conversation.

The plain truth about private plans: the nationwide PPO plans we quote are private, medically underwritten plans, not Marketplace plans. A nationwide network means in-network doctors and hospitals in many states; it does not mean every service is covered. You answer health questions, and the carrier can decline you or exclude a condition. These plans are not ACA-compliant: depending on the plan, prescriptions, maternity, mental health and other benefits can be limited or left out, some benefits have dollar maximums, and out-of-network care costs more. We walk through exactly what a plan pays before you apply, and if a Marketplace plan fits you better, we tell you that too.
Before you deploy

A five-minute checklist

  1. Search your plan's network for urgent care in the deployment area.
  2. Fill prescriptions for the full deployment, or confirm a pharmacy chain that is in network there.
  3. Save your plan's telehealth app and member ID on your phone.
  4. Know the nearest in-network hospital to your lodging.
  5. Carry your card. Clinics in storm zones are busy and paperwork gets lost.

Over or under the 2027 subsidy line?

Self-employed and 1099 income is counted after expenses. Our free calculator shows which side of the 400% line you land on in about a minute, with results right away and no sign-up.

Run the subsidy cliff calculator →
Questions

Questions we hear most

Can I drop my health plan between storm seasons?

You can, but voluntarily dropping coverage is not a qualifying event, so you may not be able to get a Marketplace plan again until open enrollment. A private plan requires you to qualify medically when you apply.

What happens if my CAT income ends up much higher than I estimated?

You repay the excess advance credit on your tax return. Starting with tax year 2026 there is no repayment cap, so report income changes during the year.

Are private plans priced on income?

No. Medically underwritten private plans are priced on age, location, health and plan design, not income, and they do not take tax credits.

Sources

Checked October 14, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm before you act.

Want real numbers instead of estimates?

Three quick taps and a ZIP code. One licensed broker calls you once with every plan you qualify for. Your information is never sold.

Start the 60-second form → Or call 863-270-9820, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm ET
Call Now