As of 2019, Florida’s tally of people without health insurance had grown to nearly 2.8 million people, per data from the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). The nonprofit estimated in 2021 that of those still uninsured in the Sunshine State, about 1.6 million people qualify for marketplace coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Marketplace health insurance is comprehensive coverage. By law, it has to cover pre-existing conditions and 10 essential health benefits, such as preventive care, prescription drugs and mental health care. The law also offers certain consumer protections and created advance premium tax credits, aka subsidies, to help lower the cost of health insurance.
KFF found that of the people in Florida without health insurance in 2021, 34% could get a bronze marketplace plan for free (without a premium) thanks to these premium subsidies.
Tax credits are available to people who make between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level. That applies to nearly everyone who buys marketplace coverage.
Kaiser Family Foundation calculated the average lowest premium cost by tier level for a single adult. In Florida, those average lows are $339 for a bronze plan, $447 for silver and $489 for gold.
These averages don’t take tax credits into account. If you qualify for one, you may pay less for marketplace plans.
Using our own comparison site, we’ve estimated that a 40-year-old living in Orlando making $37,000 a year could save money on premiums with a subsidy. That subsidy drops the lowest-cost bronze plan in the area to $180.99 a month.
Costs and coverage options vary based on where you live. There are 9 health insurance companies in Florida offering coverage on the marketplace in 2021. They include, among others, BlueCross BlueShield of Florida, Cigna, Oscar, Molina, Bright Health and Centene.
Sources
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Health Insurance Coverage of the Total Population”
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Marketplace Eligibility Among the Uninsured: Implications for a Broadened Enrollment Period and ACA Outreach” (January 27, 2021)
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Average Marketplace Premiums by Metal Tier, 2018-2021”
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Insurer Participation on the ACA Marketplaces, 2014-2021” (November 23, 2020)