obamacare

Democratic congressional candidate Pia Dandiya says her Republican opponent, Casey Askar, wants to end the Affordable Care Act for millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Floridians.

Florida chef Elijah Button faces a tough situation after losing his Affordable Care Act health insurance due to a premium hike. The 21-year-old St. Cloud resident had to treat a severe finger injury at home because he couldn't afford emergency care. The issue affects many in Florida, where about 440,000 people dropped their ACA plans this year after the expiration of federal subsidies.

Health care advocates tried Monday to impart last-minute advice to those trying to find coverage as the 2026 open enrollment period for Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage comes to an end amid spiking premium rates due to a stalemate in Congress.

Health care advocates and progressive groups across Florida said the U.S. Senate’s failure to extend premium subsidies for the Affordable Care Act was a “disheartening setback” that will significantly raise the cost of health insurance for nearly 5 million Floridians, including hundreds of thousands of people in South Florida.

As many as a third of the 4.7 million Floridians on Affordable Care Act plans could drop them next year because of the higher costs, according to some estimates.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, said Affordable Care Act enrollees, and other healthcare customers, are at risk of surging premium rates at a news conference in Sunrise Thursday.

Health insurance rates will increase sharply for the 4 million-plus Floridians who rely on so-called Obamacare plans or small employer health insurance coverage in the coming weeks, according to data released by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.

Two major Hispanic business groups say more than 1 million Miami-Dade residents who rely on the Affordable Care Act for health insurance will see premiums skyrocket next year unless Congress acts to extend a critical federal tax credit. In Florida, insurers may increase premiums between 15% and 41%, they warn.

People who buy insurance through the marketplace, sometimes called Obama Care, could soon see a significant increase in their premiums. That's because COVID-era Affordable Care Act tax credits are set to expire this year.

Floridians can still qualify for enhanced subsidies that make health plans more affordable, including DACA recipients who are able to enroll for the first time.

Florida and the nation broke records for signups. Expanded financial assistance and the ongoing Medicaid unwinding contributed to the spike.

Donald Trump has promised to renew efforts to repeal and replace the 2010 health care overhaul if he wins the White House in 2024. But doing that would be felt heavily in South Florida and could possibly reverse some of the GOP shift among the region's Latinos.