Florida Health Care Faces Premium Hikes, Regulatory Changes, and Service Access Challenges
Florida is facing significant impacts on its healthcare landscape as the expiration of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies threatens coverage for nearly two million residents by 2034, potentially leading to a substantial increase in health insurance premiums, especially among lower-income populations. This development occurs amid changes in Medicaid policies, underscoring the financial pressure on Florida’s healthcare market where the highest proportion of ACA enrollees reside. Meanwhile, legislative activity includes the veto of a bill intended to increase regulatory oversight of nursing education programs by Governor Ron DeSantis, who opposed the measure citing concerns of bureaucratic overreach. The bill would have enhanced the Florida Board of Nursing’s authority to consider adverse actions taken by nursing education programs in other states when making approval decisions, a move viewed as a tightening of educational standards in healthcare training.