Federal health officials say 1,190,922 Floridians have signed up for health insurance through the federal marketplace since this year’s open enrollment period started.
That figure announced Wednesday is by far the most in any state using the federal health care marketplace and includes first-time enrollees and some who are renewing their insurance this year.
This update comes with still a month left to buy health plans on HealthCare.gov - a place for people without access to employer-based coverage or other affordable insurance. And this year, people in Florida's smaller counties have more companies to choose from this year.
In 2014, Florida Blue was the only insurer selling health plans in all 67 Florida counties. That meant residents in some mostly rural counties had little choice if they wanted to shop on the federal marketplace.
But now, the state’s largest insurer has some competition: Assurant Health andUnitedHealthcarealso are selling plans statewide on HealthCare.gov. Across the state, the number of companies selling plans in Floridavaries, with as many as nine issuers offering plans in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Florida, with one of the highest uninsured rates in the country, led the way in HealthCare.gov enrollment. Nearly 1 million signed up, of which about 80 percent qualified for financial subsidies.
On Wednesday, federal health officials noted that 94 percent of Florida consumers who signed up during the month of November were eligible for financial assistance.
HealthCare.gov is the only place where people can be eligible for subsidies to pay for monthly premiums.
--Health News Florida producer/reporter Lottie Watts is part of WUSF Public Media in Tampa. Contact Watts at 813-974-8705 (desk) or e-mail at lottiewatts@wusf.org. Health News Florida receives support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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