Florida leads the nation in Obamacare enrollment after a month of open enrollment.
Data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services show that 1,458,792 Florida residents signed up for insurance coverage through the “Marketplace” for 2025. The Marketplace, obtainable through Healthcare.gov, is where customers can compare health plans and provides enrollment services and other help.
Nationally, 5,364,197 people signed up for coverage between Nov. 1 and Nov. 30. Nearly 4.4 million people are returning customers but 988,000 obtained new coverage, the federal data show.
The Marketplace is a centerpiece of the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to repeal the program but has offered no details.
“ACA Marketplace open enrollment continues with more than 5.3 million people signing up for coverage since the beginning of the open enrollment period,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “These numbers reflect the strong and ongoing demand that individuals and families have for affordable, high-quality health care coverage and we expect this year will set another plan selection record.”
Open enrollment for 2025 health insurance coverage began Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 15. Consumers who enroll by midnight Dec. 15 will have coverage effective Jan. 1. Health insurance coverage doesn’t kick in for others until the following month.
What Florida Politicos hate people love
Although Republicans in Florida have not expanded Medicaid to lower-income childless adults as the ACA allows, the federal health law is popular with residents who annually have flocked to the marketplace for health coverage.
Florida has consistently led the nation in ACA enrollment and this year is no different with enrollments far out pacing Texas, which saw the second highest rate with 1,077,883 sign-ups since Nov. 1.
Four insurance companies and 12 health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are participating in the Florida marketplace, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website shows.
“Through the Marketplace millions of Americans seeking health coverage continue to find a high-quality plan at a low cost,” said U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “With many people shopping online for holiday gifts, you’ll find the best deal in town at HealthCare.gov. Sign up for a health plan that meets your needs — and gives you peace of mind.”
–Christine Sexton, Florida Phoenix
Laurel says
Ah, yes. “Repeal and replace.” Trump has had “a concept of a plan” since 2015. Looks like these Republican states are joining the ACA plans as fast as they can, before Trump takes care of women, “whether they like it or not.”
Joe D says
The fact that more people in Florida are covered by health insurance SOUNDS like a GOOD thing. However, like Citizens Property insurance, the Affordable Care Act was to be the health insurance of “last resort.” Which means they can’t qualify for employer coverage (typically due to the LARGE number of service/restaurant/hotel workers in Florida whose employers offer NO HEALTH INSURANCE)! Or, like Walmart, the health insurance they DO offer is so EXPENSIVE, many lower paid employees can’t afford it, or the employer keeps the worker’s work hours below the weekly required minimum level to QUALIFY for health insurance. Another “loophole” to limit the cost for the employer… keep as many people as you can “part time,” and you hardly have any employer health insurance costs!
As a retired Registered Nurse, and Master’s prepared Clinical Nurse Specialist and Certified Nurse Case Manager, I came across clients who would be typically classified as the “working poor.” They worked, but their wages pushed them OVER the income cut off to qualify for Medicaid AND their employer didn’t offer affordable health insurance (if any insurance at all). And, as mentioned in the article above, Florida doesn’t want to cover low income single adults without children under Medicaid, unlike the majority of other states.
Unfortunately it’s not likely to improve under Donald Trump’s second administration. The first time around, couldn’t repeal it, but he cut the advertising budget for the affordable care act enrollment period, AND cut the OPEN ENROLLMENT period to the shorted time period since the Act was passed. He also SLASHED the Federal government grant assistance that helped lower income working adults pay for the private insurance coverage. I expect similar tactics during TRUMP 2.0
Kat says
Unfortunately, I agree with your assessment. I am a former APRN who repeatedly watched my Florida patients die when they became too sick to work, lost their insurance, and had no other options. I have also seen people relapse or die because their patient assistance/co-pay programs ran out of money before the end of the year and they could not afford their medication/treatment. As I am no longer able to work and have not yet been approved for Social Security disability, I depend on the ACA along with millions of other Americans. Even if you get approved for Social Security disability in most cases, you’re not eligible for Medicare until two years have lapsed. They do make exceptions for cancer diagnoses but often it is too little, too late. It is a sad state of affairs for what is supposed to be the wealthiest country in the world.
c says
You said “I expect similar tactics during TRUMP 2.0”
Well, you probably won’t be disappointed. There have already been news items suggesting that the GOP will not renew the federal subsidies for marketplace health insurance when they expire in 2025.
Do a web search on ‘gop obamacare subsidy’ to see more.
Gonna be real interesting to see how the Trumpeteers are gonna explain in 2025 that :
(some cut and paste figures from one of the above-mentioned search results)
1) “The Urban Institute projects that 453,000 lower income Floridians would lose health insurance outright, out of 4.2 million covered in the state by the federal health care marketplace.”
2) “All told, 1.1 million fewer Floridians would be covered by subsidized marketplace plans,”
3) “While the GOP’s push to repeal Obamacare seems to be fading as a political talking point, the elimination of these tax credits looks more likely. It would potentially cripple Obamacare and remove coverage for millions of Americans, analysts say.”
And, all this after they own the Senate, House, and the Oval orifice.
But, then again, Truth has nothing to do with Trump-politics.
Laurel says
Meanwhile, the richest man in the world, and his $980,000,000.00 co-worker, will try to rid us of Medicare, and privatize it as a medicare advantage. Many people do not realize that medicare advantage is not Medicare.
Well, what do those two have to lose, anyway?