Florida Blue

Many people think health insurance is confusing, expensive and out of their reach. For those reasons, and others, they may not have any kind of health insurance to help keep them and their families healthy and protected from expensive medical bills.

Here are eight easy stats to help simplify health insurance — and maybe help you realize it’s easier to get and less expensive than you think.

1. Florida Blue estimates that more than 174,000¹ people in Florida are uninsured even though they qualify for health insurance that’s a $0 payment each month, thanks to financial assistance.
2. Think health insurance is always expensive? Think again. This year, four out of five people could pay $10² or less each month for insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace, sometimes called Obamacare, thanks to financial assistance, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
3. In Florida, more than 90%² of the people enrolled in an individual or family health plan through the Marketplace received help from the government that lowered their monthly insurance bill.
4. Parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that created the Health Insurance Marketplace were changed in 2021 giving more people access to financial aid to help pay for insurance.³ 
5. The average visit to an emergency room in Florida is $10,000,⁴ according to the Consumer Health Ratings. No one plans to get sick or injured, but unfortunately, it will likely happen to each of us at some point during the year. And COVID-19 has taught us that even if we’re healthy, we never know when a serious illness can strike.
6. Florida has more people enrolled in health insurance through the Marketplace than any other state in the country. More than 2.7⁵ million people have signed up for a plan in our state.
7. There are thousands of licensed health insurance agents and navigators across the state who will charge you nothing for their expert guidance. You can find agents and navigators in your local community who can help you determine which health insurance plan is right for you and your family, enroll in a plan and apply for financial help — and you should never be charged for their help.
8. Getting a Marketplace subsidy won’t impact your immigration status. Financial assistance for health insurance (also called a subsidy) isn’t just for U.S. citizens. Many lawfully present immigrants qualify for help paying for insurance through the Marketplace, including green card holders and those with work or student visas. And receiving this financial help will not negatively impact your immigration status and process due to the public charge regulations, which were eliminated in March 2021.