The federal government is playing down the 25 percent average rate hike slated to go into effect under the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare.
Seventy-eight percent of Florida counties will have only one insurer under ObamaCare. And the average premium is expected to rise in the state by 19 percent. Florida’s Health Insurance Advisory Council’s Carol Ostapchuk recently told the panel the state’s health insurance market is in flux:
“Additionally, 2016 will be continued change in instability subsequent to the elections next month,” she said.
The federal government says premium increases don’t reflect what most people will pay, because subsidies will rise and could cancel out all or some of the price hike. The rate of uninsured Floridians has fallen eight points to 13 percent since the health law took effect in 2014.
It could go lower, but Florida is one of a shrinking number of states that has not accepted federal dollars to expand its Medicaid program to more low and middle income people under the Affordable Care Act.
