ORLANDO, Fla. — Almost 4.7 million Floridians rely on the Affordable Care Act for health insurance. Many of them are getting policy renewal notices with sharp increases in what they will have to pay each month during 2026.
What You Need To Know
Daniel Fuller currently pays $674/month for silver-level ACA coverage but expects costs to rise
Without subsidies, his premiums could increase to $1,100/month for the same coverage
Fuller may downgrade to a bronze plan, resulting in increased copays
November is when people buy or renew health insurance policies through the Affordable Care Act. Florida has more residents using ACA policies than any other state.
Data from the state of Florida shows the expected average increase in ACA policy premiums will be 34.1% in Florida next year.
Orlando resident Daniel Fuller, along with his girlfriend, has been using coverage through the ACA ever since he got laid off last December.
“I chose a very middle of the road plan. A silver-level plan, HMO, and I was paying, I’m currently paying $674 a month for it,” he said.
Fuller says if government subsidies to lower his monthly payments expire at the end of 2025, his current level of coverage will cost $1,100 per month. He says he may be forced to select a lower-level bronze plan if that is the case.
“That will be roughly $900 per month, still an increase from the $674 I was paying. So I’ll essentially be paying more for less,” Fuller said.
Another challenge is that plan would force Fuller to pay more money every time he visits a doctor.
“It’s 250 something dollars more a month, but then my copays are twice as much from $35 per visit up to $70 per visit,” he said.
Fuller says that the $674 he pays now is his second-highest bill each month after his mortgage payment. He calls the $900 per month premium ridiculous.
“I don’t know how any individual or family could afford $900 per month for a very base level, basic health care plan,” he said.
Open enrollment for Affordable Care Act coverage runs through Dec. 15.