I moved to Florida as a French expat. And I'll be honest — the American healthcare system was one of the biggest shocks of my life.
Not because of the quality of care. But because nothing works the way we expect it to coming from France. No carte Vitale. No automatic reimbursement. No simple answer to "how much will this cost me?" The first time someone mentioned my "deductible," I smiled and nodded — and then went home and Googled it for an hour.
That's why we built YesOuiCare. This is not another generic insurance comparison website. We built it specifically for French-speaking expats and immigrants navigating the U.S. healthcare system — because we've lived it ourselves, and we know the questions that nobody seems to answer clearly.
Why the U.S. Healthcare System Feels So Foreign to French Expats
In France, we grow up with a system that mostly takes care of itself. The Sécurité Sociale covers the bulk of our medical costs, the mutuelle fills in the rest, and we rarely think about what a doctor's visit actually costs. It just... works.
In Florida, none of that applies.
Here, your access to care — and what it costs you — depends entirely on the insurance plan you choose. No plan, no coverage. And even with a plan, the costs can surprise you if you don't understand the structure. We explain all of it in French and English, because the terminology alone can be a barrier:
- Deductible — the amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance starts covering anything. Many plans have deductibles of $1,500 to $7,000.
- Copay — a fixed fee per visit, like $30 for a primary care appointment.
- Out-of-pocket maximum — the most you'll ever pay in a year. After that, your insurer covers 100%.
- Coinsurance — after your deductible, you and your insurer split the remaining costs (for example, 80/20).
- PPO vs HMO — a PPO gives you flexibility to see any doctor; an HMO requires referrals and restricts you to a network.
- In-network vs out-of-network — going outside your insurer's network can mean paying full price, even with coverage.
- Surprise bills — one of the most common and painful experiences for newcomers. You think you're covered, and then a bill arrives weeks later from a provider you didn't know was out-of-network.
We explain all of this the way a French person needs to hear it — not just translated, but actually adapted to the way we think about healthcare.
What Makes YesOuiCare Different
A lot of generic insurance comparison sites exist. They'll show you a list of plans, filter by price, and send you on your way. What they won't do is explain why a $0-premium ACA plan might still cost you $6,000 in a bad year. Or whether keeping your CFE alongside a U.S. plan actually makes financial sense. Or what to do when you've just arrived and don't have a Social Security Number yet.
Here's what we do that others don't:
- We compare ACA ("Obamacare"), PPO/private plans, travel insurance, and expat coverage side by side. Not just prices — the real structure of each plan, so you can make an informed decision based on your actual situation.
- We include a Florida-focused medical price comparison tool for MRIs, lab work, scans, and self-pay costs. This is unusually useful in the U.S. system, where cash prices can sometimes be lower than what you'd pay after applying your deductible. We help you figure out when self-pay makes more sense than running everything through insurance.
- We handle the edge cases. E-2 visa holders who don't qualify for all ACA plans. Recent arrivals without an SSN. Self-employed founders whose income structure affects subsidy eligibility. Families where one spouse is in France and one is in Florida. These aren't edge cases to us — they're the people we work with every day.
- We are a Florida-licensed broker, which means we know the local ACA marketplace plans, the provider networks, and the pricing specific to Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and Palm Beach County.
ACA vs Expat Insurance vs PPO: Which One Is Right for You?
This is the most common question we get — and the honest answer is: it depends. Here's how to think through it.
If you're asking "What will healthcare actually cost me in Florida?"
Start with ACA. The ACA marketplace plans are the most comprehensive option for people living full-time in Florida, and the subsidies can make them extremely affordable. A French family of three earning $55,000/year in Miami could pay as little as $150–$300/month for a solid PPO plan. Run the numbers before assuming it's too expensive.
If you're asking "Should I use ACA or expat insurance?"
It depends on how long you plan to stay and how often you travel back to France. ACA plans are tied to Florida — they won't cover you back home. International expat plans offer global portability but often don't cover routine U.S. care as comprehensively. We compare both so you can see the real trade-offs.
If you're asking "Can I keep my CFE and add U.S. coverage?"
Yes, and many French expats do. But whether it's worth it financially depends on your age, health status, income, and how long you plan to stay in the U.S. We walk through this calculation with you — in French.
If you're asking "How do I avoid surprise bills?"
This is about understanding your network before you need care. We help you verify whether your doctors, specialists, and hospitals are in-network before anything happens — because the worst time to find out is after the fact.
Special Situations We Handle
E-2 Visa Holders
On an E-2 investor visa, your ACA eligibility is more limited than a green card holder or permanent resident. We specialize in finding the right coverage for entrepreneurs and investors on this visa.
Newcomers Without an SSN
Standard enrollment processes often break down for recent arrivals. We know the workarounds and can guide you through enrollment even before your SSN arrives.
Self-Employed Founders and Entrepreneurs
Your income structure — especially if you're drawing a salary from your own company — directly affects what ACA subsidies you qualify for. Getting this wrong can cost you thousands per year.
Medical Record Transfer and Continuity of Care
If you're arriving with an existing condition or ongoing treatment, we help you understand how to transfer your French medical records, get prescriptions recognized, and find equivalent medications on the U.S. market.
Mental Health Coverage
This is something most comparison sites don't mention, but it matters. Adjusting to life in a new country is hard. Good international plans increasingly cover psychology and therapy consultations, and we help you find options that include this.
What Healthcare Actually Costs in Florida: Real Numbers
Here are realistic benchmarks to plan around:
| Service | Cash Price | With Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Primary care visit | $150–$300 | $20–$50 copay |
| Specialist visit | $250–$500 | $40–$80 copay |
| MRI (no contrast) | $400–$800 at imaging center | $200–$600 after deductible |
| Basic blood panel | $50–$150 via direct lab | $0–$30 with insurance |
| Emergency room | $1,500–$5,000+ | Varies significantly by plan |
Cash prices are often negotiable, especially at independent imaging centers and direct-pay labs. Our price comparison tool helps you identify when self-pay is the smarter choice.
ACA Subsidies: You May Qualify and Not Know It
Many French expats in Florida don't realize they qualify for ACA subsidies. Eligibility is based on income and household size — not citizenship. Many visa holders qualify.
Under current enhanced subsidy rules, a single person earning $35,000/year could pay under $100/month for a real PPO plan. We help you run this calculation before you assume it's out of reach.
A Practical Approach for French Expats in Florida
Here's the process we recommend:
- Check your ACA eligibility and subsidy estimate first — even if you think you won't qualify
- Compare that against an international expat plan, especially if you travel between France and the U.S.
- Use our medical price comparison tool to understand what your most likely healthcare needs will actually cost
- Factor in your visa situation — E-2, H-1B, O-1, student, and green card holders all have different options
- Talk to us — we do this in French, and we know Florida specifically
Ready to Compare Your Options?
Whether you just arrived, you're preparing your move, or you've been in Florida for years and you're not sure your current coverage is right — we're here to help.
We are not a call center. We are not a generic comparison tool. We're French expats in Florida, licensed brokers, and we speak your language — literally and figuratively.
Start your free comparison at yesouicare.com
YesOuiCare — Licensed Florida Health Insurance Broker. Bilingual French/English. Serving French expats in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Palm Beach, and across Florida.