Florida plans for the Affordable Care Act Marketplace are getting more expensive.
Open enrollment begins Sunday; customers and health advocates are pleading with those running for office to intervene with rising and — in some cases — unsustainable healthcare costs.
Florida Voices for Health, a healthcare rights advocacy group, held a meeting Monday calling for politicians to do more.
“We're also calling on our state and federal lawmakers after November 3 to take this seriously and to pursue the needed reforms to lower costs and improve coverage and give Floridians a chance to live full and healthy lives,” said Scott Darius, executive director of the Florida Voices for Health.
How much are plans rising?
On average, ACA premiums in Florida will be 10.4% higher next year, but that’s on top of the 34% increase plans experienced in 2026, according to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.
UnitedHealthcare of Florida Inc. has one of the largest jumps in Florida for 2027 plans, with a 25% increase. In 2026, UnitedHealthcare customers saw a 32% increase in their monthly premiums.
Dave Waalewyn, 64, of Leesburg, was a pilot for Spirit Airlines. When it went out of business in May, he lost his health insurance. In July, he applied for a marketplace plan, costing him $800 a month. However, the insurance company reached out to him about a stress test he took as a pilot, and they had concerns about his heart.
“(The test) proved that there was a trivial amount of plaque,” he said.
He is now looking at a premium of $1,500 a month.
“For me, to look at it, $1,500 a month means $18,000 a year,” Waalewyn said. “I do find it frustrating… I was hoping to possibly retire, but that is too wide of a gap for me.”
Waalewyn shared his story during Monday’s meeting, where he and other insurance customers called on politicians to do more for healthcare as costs continue to balloon.
The rippling effect
Darius with Florida Voices for Health says next year's increases are being driven, still, “by the rippling effects of the non-extension of the enhanced premium tax credits last year.”
The enhanced premium tax credit, which received a boost in effectiveness during the Biden administration, made marketplace insurance more affordable. Last year, the Trump administration and congressional Republicans didn’t renew the ACA enhanced premium tax credit as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill. That was a big deal for Florida, which had the largest body of marketplace customers. About 97% of Florida customers used the tax credit, according to research by KFF, a nonpartisan health policy organization.
Loss of the enhanced tax credit has caused private insurance premiums to rise, as well.
“I feel like folks like us are at the mercy of these greedy giants who simply see us as profit,” said Emily Bellairs-Romero, of Geneva.
Bellairs-Romero also shared her story during the Florida Voices for Health meeting Monday. She was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease 16 years ago, she said. “It can cause catastrophic damage to the intestines, and it can even cause life-threatening conditions like sepsis.”
She used to pay $5 a month for her medication through her husband’s work-based insurance. That was until the company discontinued paying for the product. Bellairs-Romero’s doctor found her a “biosimilar” substitute medication, but it would end up costing her $3,400 a year. It’ll be years before she can enroll in Medicare.
With rising costs, she’s scared of what her medical and financial future looks like.
“I have no idea how I am going to pay in January,” she said. “I only know that the cost of this medication and the cost of my insurance is becoming unsustainable.”
What should I know about open enrollment?
While costs are rising, there is still value and help available on the Marketplace, said Katie Roders Turner, executive director of the Family Healthcare Foundation
“Don't assume you don't qualify for assistance on the health insurance marketplace this year. There have been a lot of changes, but it's still worth taking a look,” she said.
In some cases, examining higher premiums could be to a customer’s advantage, weighing it against the out-of-pocket expenses, Roders Turner said.
“Spending a little bit more each month might help reduce your out-of-pocket expenses,” she said.
Open enrollment begins Sunday and lasts through Jan. 15.
Those seeking coverage for the start of 2027 must enroll by Dec. 15. Filing later will provide coverage starting Feb. 1.
Anyone looking for help in choosing the right plan can speak with a Florida healthcare navigator at CoveringFlorida.org or call 877-813-9115.
