Christine Jordan Sexton
More than 4.21 million Floridians have signed up for health insurance through Obamacare according to the final numbers for this year’s open enrollment period released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
That’s a record-setting enrollment number for Florida, and the total number of enrollees in the Sunshine State far exceeds that of the closest states. Texas had 3.48 million people sign up, followed by California with 1.73 million.
More than 21 million Americans are relying on health coverage either through Healthcare.gov or state-created marketplaces.
Federal officials in the President Joe Biden administration on Wednesday touted the increased numbers — which include more than 5 million new enrollees nationwide — as proof that Obamacare, officially known as the Affordable Care Act, is working.
“For decades, when it came to federal programs we could depend on to keep Americans covered, three were always top of mind — Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, but now it’s crystal clear that we need to add a fourth — the Affordable Care Act,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
“Once again, a record-breaking number of Americans have signed up for affordable health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplace, and now they and their families have the peace of mind that comes with coverage. The ACA continues to be a successful, popular and important federal program to millions of people and their families.”
Florida and Texas — the states with the highest number of people enrolled for coverage — are among the 10 states that have rejected expanding Medicaid eligibility that was allowed under Obamacare.
Republicans in Florida have steadfastly been opposed to expanding Medicaid to low-income individuals who earn too much to qualify for the program now. GOP legislative leaders reiterated earlier this month that they are still against the idea, even as Medicaid expansion has been added in other states.
When he was running for president, Gov. Ron DeSantis said he planned to roll out an alternative proposal to Obamacare sometime this year. It’s unclear if he will still do so now that he ended his campaign after he was routed by former President Donald Trump in Iowa.
