According to information shared by the Florida Hospital Association, 4.7 million Floridians get their health insurance through the federal marketplace. Tax credits/subsidies allow families earning between 100 and 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) (for reference, a family of one earning less than $25,590 (equates to $12.30 per hour for a full time job) a year is at the upper end or 150 percent of the FPL) to purchase commercial health insurance that requires no monthly contribution. Up to 400 percent of the FPL, some monthly financial contribution is required.
According to the Palm Beach Post, “Approximately 1.5 million Floridians are at risk of losing access and becoming uninsured if Congress fails to extend the enhanced premium support, which expires at the end of this year. One million of these Floridians earn less than 200% of the federal poverty level. For a family of three, that means earning $54,000 or less a year.” Others are estimating that number will be between 1 and 1.5 million people.
To bring this point home, the Miami Herald reports today (09/24/25) that, “There are 527,469 such households in the county (ALICE – asset-limited, income constrained, employed), United Way Miami found in a recent report. That’s 54% of Miami-Dade households — a 40,000-household increase since 2023 — and the highest rate of Florida’s larger metropolitan areas.” These are people who are working, “often earning too much to qualify for state assistance, but effectively live paycheck to paycheck”.
Unable or barely able to afford housing, if tax credits go away and people are forced to pay the full-freight to keep their health insurance, “What decision do you think they will make?” “In the Sunshine State more broadly, 47% of households are financially pressured, according to United Way. In only three states — Louisiana, Mississippi and New York — are greater percentages of residents under more economic strain.”
In the current efforts to create a budget resolution that will prevent the federal government from having to shut down, one of the budget items that, “Democrats are seeking to include critical health care provisions in any budget deal, including: Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies: A permanent extension of enhanced health insurance subsidies that are set to expire at the end of 2025. The Congressional Budget Office estimates this would increase the deficit by nearly $350 billion over 10 years but would also increase the number of people with health insurance by 3.8 million.”
It is important to stay informed on this issue and to reach out to your elected officials and let them know your thoughts on including this issue as part of the budget resolution process. We don’t want to return to days past when residents over relied on hospitals to provide their primary care in emergency departments. We also don’t want this vulnerable population to delay care so routine medical issues become chronic medical issues.
