Rising Health Insurance Costs Become a Florida Campaign Issue
Rising health insurance costs are a major issue for voters in a closely divided Florida congressional district, according to NPR, which published its report on Saturday, Oct. 31. NPR reporter Maham Javaid visited the newly redrawn 22nd Congressional District, which stretches from the Gulf Coast to the suburbs of Palm Beach. NPR describes the district as made up of rural, urban and suburban areas, and as politically swinging between red and blue.
People who buy coverage through the state's health insurance marketplace, the online exchange for plans under the Affordable Care Act (the federal health law also known as Obamacare), face new premiums that rise 10.4% on average. That figure comes from the state's Office of Insurance Regulation, as NPR reported. NPR attributes the increases to the expiration of COVID-19-era subsidies for marketplace plans.
Enhanced federal tax credits that lowered premiums for many enrollees were set to expire at the end of 2025. Premium payments rose sharply for many people when they did. KFF reported that marketplace enrollment fell for the first time in seven years in 2026, by nearly three million people between 2025 and 2026. The Associated Press described Florida as hard hit by the drop in enrollment.
Separately, the federal government cut subsidies for 189,000 enrollees in 2026 because of duplicate coverage, according to Reuters. The cuts affected people who had overlapping Medicaid and Medicare coverage, along with enrollees who had died.
The candidates in the race offer different approaches. Democratic nominee Pia Dandiya says she would work on restoring the ACA subsidies, expanding funding for Medicaid and lowering drug prices if Democrats win back the House. Republican candidate Casey Askar wants to eliminate the ACA altogether and crack down on fraud to preserve Medicare and Medicaid, NPR reported.
Open enrollment, the period when people can sign up for, renew or change marketplace plans for the coming year, begins Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 15, according to HealthCare.gov. NPR reported that this year's open enrollment begins just days before Election Day.
