Florida once again leads the nation in enrollment for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
A record 3.2 million Floridians signed up for health insurance plans for 2023 offered through the federal marketplaces, according to data released Wednesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. That’s roughly 500,000 more than last year and almost a million more than the next highest state, Texas.
Nationwide, the federal program, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, is more popular than ever, with a record 16.3 million Americans enrolling. That includes 3.6 million new members.
The federal government’s decision to make premium subsidies available to more people during the pandemic has been credited with driving up enrollment. The subsidies, established in the American Rescue Plan, were extended to the end of 2025. For families with an income above the federal poverty level, it can mean insurance is free or their premiums are as low as $10 per month.
“We will see a decrease in the insured rate,” said Jodi Ray, project director of Florida Covering Kids & Families, a navigator program based at the University of South Florida. “I feel good we’ve been able to make even more people aware of getting affordable access to health care.”
Ray said there is still much work to be done. Florida still has a higher-than-average uninsured rate, and access to health care in rural areas is still spotty, she said.
And Florida’s failure to expand its Medicaid program means an estimated 400,000 people remain in the so-called coverage gap since they earn too much to meet Florida’s strict criteria, even though they earn below the federal poverty level.
“This is the mistake made when the Affordable Care Act was passed — this idea we can wash our hands,” Ray said. “We’re nowhere near done doing the job.”
Valrico resident Dawn McAlpin is among the new Affordable Care Act enrollees after signing up for a marketplace plan offered by Ambetter Sunshine Health for this year.
A longtime kindergarten teacher for Hillsborough County Public Schools, she retired in November and needs insurance to cover visits to an orthopedic specialist for a knee injury and an eye specialist to treat a glaucoma.
But she was told it would cost her $700 a month to keep her current insurance plan. That was beyond her budget because she lives on a pension and the 62-year-old won’t qualify for Medicare for another three years.
The district referred her to a Family Health Foundation office, where a navigator was able to find her a plan. The subsidy covers the total cost, so she has no premium.
“I was very happy, ecstatic,” she said. “Compared to $700, oh my God.”
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