Florida
Obamacare Enrollment Drops Across 49 States, Impacting Local Residents
In 49 states, the number of people enrolled in Obamacare plans has declined since Congress made coverage more expensive by allowing federal subsidies to expire at the end of last year. The lone exception was New Mexico, the only state…
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Key points
- Obamacare enrollment has declined significantly in 49 states, including Florida.
- The drop is largely due to the expiration of federal subsidies that made health coverage more affordable.
- Premium increases are anticipated for 2027, which may further impact local families seeking insurance.
NewsWK — Recent analysis shows a significant decline in the number of individuals enrolled in Obamacare plans across 49 states, including Florida. The decrease follows the expiration of federal subsidies at the end of last year, which had made coverage more affordable for many families.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), enrollment dropped nearly 3 million people from 21.8 million in 2025 to approximately 19.2 million this year. The only state to see an increase in enrollment was New Mexico, which utilized state funds to replace the expired federal subsidies.
The Trump administration attributed the decrease in enrollment partly to efforts to remove individuals who allegedly misreported their income to qualify for free plans. However, KFF connects the drop primarily to the expiration of enhanced subsidies originally provided during the pandemic. These subsidies, which were set to expire at the end of 2025, had previously allowed many low-income households to eliminate premium payments entirely.
In states utilizing the federal insurance marketplace, the average enrollment decline was 15%, while states with their own exchanges saw an average decrease of 6%. Notably, states like Ohio and Oklahoma experienced the highest declines, with enrollment falling by 32% and 30%, respectively.
Justin Lo, a senior researcher at KFF, indicated that the number of fraudulent enrollees is likely in the hundreds of thousands, rather than the millions previously suggested. He stated, “We had a huge growth in the marketplace uptake because a lot of people were seeing that they could now qualify for very cheap plans. So now, when we’re looking at the loss, it’s people who had marketplace coverage now having to evaluate whether they want to continue it.”
Looking ahead, the report forecasts a potential surge in premiums for 2027, with proposed median increases of 14%, which would mark another year of double-digit hikes for health plan costs. Insurers are currently assessing their participation in the marketplaces, which could further affect enrollment options for families in our region.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
Based on reporting by Shalina Chatlani originally published by Stateline. Read the original story.
