Nearly 62,000 people in Florida enrolled in Affordable Health Care plans during the first two weeks of a special enrollment period, according to information released Wednesday by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
In all, 206,236 people in 36 states that use a federal health insurance exchange enrolled in plans, data show.
With 61,737 people enrolling in Florida from Feb. 15 to 28, the state accounted for nearly 30% of the new enrollment and far outpaced other states.
The federal data show that 385,864 people in 36 states submitted applications for coverage during the first two weeks of the special enrollment period and that 330,473 people qualified for coverage.
Another 54,434 people didn’t earn enough to enroll in Obamacare plans through the exchange and qualified for Medicaid or state children’s health insurance programs.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order in January authorizing the special enrollment period because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, the Biden administration announced this week it was making roughly $2.3 million in additional funds available to 30 “navigators” that help uninsured people find health insurance coverage. The organization Florida Covering Kids & Families is one of two navigators receiving $250,000, the highest amount awarded.
Housed at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida Covering Kids & Families had spearheaded the state’s navigator efforts to enroll people in plans under the ACA.
By the end of last year’s enrollment period, 2,120,350 Floridians got coverage.
The special enrollment period will continue through May 15.
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