St. Petersburg and Clearwater employers are counted, in the official federal surveys used on this page, as part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area — the same area as Tampa. The averages below are therefore metro-wide figures, not Pinellas-only quotes. This page is written for employers in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and the rest of Pinellas County, and it is a different page from group health insurance in Tampa.
A broader introduction to the firm in this region is on Tampa Bay employer benefits.
The local employer base, and how the metro figures work
The Census Bureau's Statistics of U.S. Businesses for 2022 counts 74,457 employer firms and 1,230,894 paid employees in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area. 65,247 firms had fewer than 20 employees (214,149 employees), and 5,150 firms were in the official 20-to-99-employee class (183,236 employees). Those numbers include Hillsborough County as well as Pinellas. The metro file does not publish a Pinellas-only firm count in the extract used here, and it does not publish a separate under-50 total.The practical point for a St. Petersburg or Clearwater employer is this: you are in the same official metro statistics as Tampa, but your people may use different doctors and hospitals, and county-level carrier availability is still checked for Pinellas (and for any other county on the roster), not assumed from a Tampa ZIP code.
What official surveys say about cost in this metro area
MEPS-IC 2025 Table IX.A.1 reports that 39.8% of private-sector establishments in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area offered health insurance. Table IX.A.2 puts the average annual premium, among offering establishments, at $8,942 for single coverage and $25,808 for family coverage, with average employee contributions of $1,811 and $6,881. Table IX.B.2 reports, for firms of 50 or more in this metro area, averages of $8,902 (single) and $25,887 (family). An under-50 single-coverage average of $9,118 is also published; other under-50 contribution figures in that table are marked as not meeting the precision standard and are not used here.
Statewide under-50 Florida averages were $9,742 (single) and $24,957 (family). See the cost page. A Pinellas proposal is still built from your census.
Florida's small-group rule, and who sells coverage
Florida's Department of Financial Services states that small-group health plans are for employers with one to 50 full-time-equivalent employees. Self-employed individuals and family-only businesses are covered through the individual market.
For policies effective on or after January 1, 2026, the Florida Department of Financial Services Small Group Market Carrier List names the marketers that advised the Office of Insurance Regulation they are offering ACA small-group plans. The indemnity/PPO list is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida d/b/a Florida Blue, National Health Insurance Company, and UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company. The HMO list is Av-Med, Inc.; BeHealthy Florida, Inc. (TruLi for Health); Capital Health Plan, Inc.; Florida Health Care Plan, Inc.; Health Options, Inc. d/b/a Florida Blue; Neighborhood Health Partnership, Inc.; and UnitedHealthcare of Florida, Inc. County-level on- and off-SHOP availability is on the Florida OIR tables. Some of those HMO names are regional. We will only compare products the OIR tables show as available for the counties where your people work. Pages on Florida Blue, UnitedHealthcare, and AvMed describe products; they are not a statement that Ares is appointed with every carrier or that any carrier endorses the firm.
Continuation when someone leaves the plan
Federal COBRA generally applies to employers with 20 or more employees. For many smaller Florida groups, section 627.6692, Florida Statutes — the Florida Health Insurance Coverage Continuation Act — provides continuation when federal COBRA is not available. The statute's basic continuation period is 18 months after the date coverage would otherwise have ended because of a qualifying event, with a disability extension described in the same section. See COBRA for employers.
How we help a St. Petersburg or Clearwater employer
You send a roster, work locations, what you offer today, and your renewal date if you have one. We confirm whether you sit in Florida's 1-to-50 small-group market and compare a fully insured small-group plan, SHOP, a level-funded design, an ICHRA or QSEHRA, or coverage arranged through a PEO. The method is on how to compare group health plans. Request a proposal or call (813) 540-1299.Frequently asked questions
Is this the same page as the Tampa page?
No. Both pages use the official Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro statistics, because that is how Census and MEPS-IC publish them. This page is written for Pinellas employers, states that the firm's office is in Tampa, and points to Pinellas county-level availability. The Tampa page is written for Tampa and Hillsborough County.Does Ares have an office in St. Petersburg or Clearwater?
No. The only address on this site is 5701 E Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, FL 33610. We advise St. Petersburg and Clearwater employers from that office.Which carriers sell small-group plans in Pinellas County?
Start with the official 2026 DFS list and the OIR tables for Pinellas County, not with a Hillsborough or national list. We will only compare plans shown as available for your counties.What does coverage cost in this area?
The official 2025 MEPS-IC metro averages, among offering establishments, are $8,942 (single) and $25,808 (family) a year. Those figures include Tampa as well as St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Your quote is built from your census.
What continuation applies if we have fewer than 20 employees?
Federal COBRA generally applies at 20 employees. Florida section 627.6692 provides an 18-month continuation period, with conditions, when federal COBRA is not available.
Ready for a proposal?