With nearly 1.7 million residents in the program, Florida has the most residents enrolled in an Affordable Care Act plan. Among these qualified plans, there are also other available options, such as non-qualified and short term health insurance plans.

However, each state depends on its Department of Insurance, which impacts coverage costs, requirements, and available options. So before choosing a plan, it’s best to see what your state’s options and conditions are for health insurance coverage.

Florida Health Insurance Plans

Like many states, Florida uses a federally-run health marketplace. This means that residents who choose qualified insurance have to register each year to renew their policy. Residents also have the option to choose from a variety of non-qualified plans at a lower cost.

Here are the major differences between qualified and non-qualified plans:

Qualified plans are compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and provide coverage for the ten Essential Health Benefits, which are a set of categories that are guaranteed coverage regardless of the insured's age, gender, or lifestyle choices.

Non-qualified plans do not meet federal requirements, but they are significantly cheaper and still offer a variety of different coverage options.

To better understand what is best for you, learn more about the Florida health insurance marketplace.

Understanding Health Insurance in Florida

Up until 2019, it was a federal law to require an individual mandate in each state. An individual mandate is mandatory enforcement for all citizens to enroll in health insurance to avoid a fine. When the mandate was federally abolished, states could then decide whether they wanted to enforce it. Currently, Florida does not enforce this, meaning that residents have the option to go uninsured. However, medical costs are the leading cause of debt and bankruptcy in the United States, and having health coverage is one of the best ways to avoid debt in the event of an emergency.

Health insurance policies are designed to help you pay for your medical costs up to a certain point before your insurer takes over the rest. The type of insurance you select will affect your monthly premiums and coverage types.

After choosing your insurer, you can choose the type of coverage you want:

Bronze
Bronze

40% out of pocket and 60% insurer pays

Silver
Silver

30% out of pocket and 70% insurer pays

Gold
Gold

20% out of pocket and 80% insurer pays

Platinum
Platinum

10% out of pocket and 90% insurer pays

Although these plan types don't change the kind of care you receive, they do affect how much you pay directly out of pocket. Bronze plans will have lower monthly premiums, whereas platinum plans are among the most expensive premiums in the country. And, when buying coverage, you could either cover yourself or you and your dependents.

Individual Health Insurance

Individual health insurance in Florida is a type of coverage you can purchase for yourself. This is ideal for single adults who do not have any children. These plans have some flexibility and allow married couples to be covered jointly or individually. You can purchase Florida health insurance through qualified insurers, a private exchange, the public marketplace, through your employer, or apply for social program coverage like Medicare or under the new Medicaid expansion.

In Florida, most citizens chose qualified coverage as their healthcare plan, with average premium costs around these figures:(Age 40, Zip code 32789):

  • Single Adult

    Single adult

    $535
  • Married Couple

    Married Couple

    $1,069

These plans cover the Essential Health Benefits, meaning they are among the most expensive options in the nation. If you are searching for affordable health insurance in Florida, you also have the option to choose from a variety of non-qualified plans.

Family Health Insurance

Family health insurance is ideal for families with children. These plans are generally more expensive, but they do cover everybody under a single policy. As with the individual programs, you can purchase a family plan through a qualified insurer, the Florida health insurance marketplace, or your employer.

Under qualified plans, you can expect the average monthly premium costs to be: (Age 40, Zip code 32789)

  • Health Maintenance Organization

    A married couple with one child

    $1,418
  • Health Maintenance Organization

    A married couple with two children

    $1,766
  • Health Maintenance Organization

    A married couple with three children

    $2,115

Social programs like Medicare and Medicaid don’t cover dependents except for special circumstances, so these programs are not a viable option for families. If you don't qualify for a government subsidy, and the full cost of an qualified plan is too expensive, then you might want to consider non-qualified plans. These plans are cheaper but still offer substantial coverage for the whole family. These plans are cheaper but still offer substantial coverage for the whole family.

Florida Short Term Health Insurance

Short Term Health Insurance in Florida

Short term health insurance plans are temporary policies designed for individuals that do not have insurance but want to be covered in case they need healthcare. Florida allows policies to be sold with terms up to 364 days at a time and can be renewed for up to 36 months.

They are typically ideal for people in specific situations, such as:

  • People who are in between employers
  • Young adults who have been removed from their parents’ healthcare plans
  • People waiting for a policy to take effect

Recently, Florida decided to follow federal regulation duration rules. Under the new rule, Florida law states that short term health plans cannot exclude pre-existing conditions for more than 24 months. Insurers are also unable to look back further than 24 months for evidence of a pre-existing condition. The Florida short term health plans offered in the iHealth Agents have a more advantageous look back of 12 months.

Find the Right Plan Today

Selecting the right health insurance plan for you and your family can make all the difference between meeting your budget and ensuring that you have adequate coverage—but finding affordable health insurance in Florida that works best can be overwhelming.

The good news is that iHealth Agents is an accessible exchange that does the work for you. There, you can browse through a variety of qualified and non-qualified plans and select what’s best for your budget and needs. Find the right plan today.