JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As 2026 approaches, affordability remains a dominant concern for Americans, with health insurance costs poised to rise sharply, especially in Florida.
RELATED: Higher cost, worse coverage: Affordable Care Act enrollees say expiring subsidies will hit them hard
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Government law attorney Chris Hand explained on This Week in Jacksonville that the end of COVID-era subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could have severe consequences.
“More than any other state, Floridians use the Affordable Care Act exchange to get their health insurance coverage. There are 4.7 million Floridians that get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchanges,” Hand said.
He warned that if the subsidies expire at the end of this year, as expected due to Congress not extending them, “a third of those Floridians may lose their health insurance coverage,” which amounts to about 1.5 million people in Florida potentially losing coverage.
For those who keep their insurance, Hand noted the financial impact will still be significant: “Those who do keep their coverage are likely to see an average premium increase of about 132%, or more than $500 a month.”
Hand explained that the Republican argument against extending the subsidies is that they were pandemic-related emergency measures.
RELATED: House Speaker Johnson rebuffs efforts to extend health care subsidies, pushing ahead with GOP plan
Regarding efforts to address the issue, Hand said, “Just in the last week, four members of the House Republican caucus have joined [Democrats] in signing what’s called a discharge petition, trying to get this issue directly on the House floor.”
He added that extending subsidies would give people time to adjust to any changes in the health care system.
For more insights from Chris Hand on health care, inflation, AI regulation, and Florida’s 2026 legislative session, tune in to This Week in Jacksonville, airing Sunday morning at 9.