For starters, it’s probably more affordable than you think!
Health insurance can be confusing. Most people agree with that. And since it’s the time of year when individuals and families enroll in a health insurance plan for next year, it’s a perfect time to understand and correct a few common myths about health insurance. This helps you make an informed decision about buying a health plan for you and your family.
Myth #1 – I can’t afford health insurance.
In 2023, 9 out of 10 people got a health insurance plan for $10 or less per month through the Health Insurance Marketplace.1 How that’s possible? The federal government recently increased the amount of financial assistance you can get to help lower your monthly bill. The state’s leading health insurer, Florida Blue, estimates that of the 1.2 million uninsured individuals across the state, nearly half could get a Marketplace plan that would cost them $0 each month after financial assistance.2
Myth #2 – I earn too much to get financial assistance or a subsidy.
If you were told in the past that you made too much, it’s time to take another look. In previous years, you had to make less than $106,000 for a family of four. Now, for that same family of four, you have to make less than $120,000 to qualify for help paying for your monthly health insurance bill.4
Myth #3 – I’m healthy and don’t need health insurance.
We never plan to get sick or injured, but as we’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, we never know what can happen. The average ER visit in Florida costs about $3,100.5 According to the National Cancer Institute, the average cost of medical care and drugs tops $42,000 in the year following a cancer diagnosis, with some treatments exceeding $1 million.6 Health insurance not only helps pay your medical bills if you get sick or hurt; but it can also help keep you healthy. With Marketplace plans, you often get checkups, vaccines, yearly bloodwork, and cancer screenings at no extra cost.
Myth #4 – Finding the right insurance plan is too confusing.
Deciding which plan to choose can be confusing, and there are thousands of insurance plans available here in Florida. The good news is you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Licensed health insurance agents and navigators can walk you through your options, explain all the terminology, see if you qualify for financial assistance, and help you enroll in a plan that meets your unique needs. Health insurance agents will not charge you a fee to help. You can visit your preferred insurance plan’s website to find one near you.
If you have questions about health insurance, financial assistance to lower your payments, or the Marketplace, check out GetCoveredFlorida.com.
1 https://www.cms.gov/data-research/statistics-trends-and-reports/marketplace-products/2023-marketplace-open-enrollment-period-public-use-files
2 HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACES 2023 OPEN ENROLLMENT REPORT (cms.gov)
3https://aspe.hhs.gov/2021-poverty-guidelines
4 https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines
5 https://www.healthcare.gov/why-coverage-is-important/protection-from-high-medical-costs/
6 https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/in-america-cancer-patients-endure-debt-on-top-of-disease/#:~:text=The%20National%20Cancer%20Institute%20calculated,treatments%20can%20exceed%20%241%20million.
