EDITORIAL: Floridians pay big for health insurance

OUR POSITION: Floridians pay some of the highest health insurance premiums in the nation and Obamacare may not be the savior we need.

Floridians are already grappling with some of the highest property insurance rates in the nation. Now comes the news — if you didn't already notice — that we're also paying some of the highest health insurance rates in the U.S.

A recent Forbes Advisor study looked at metrics from the Kaiser Family Foundation to rate each state and the average health insurance rates people were paying.

Florida's insurance premiums ranked the fourth highest out of 50 states.

According to Forbes, Floridians with employer-provided family health coverage pay the highest annual premium in the nation ($7,079), and Florida residents were fifth most likely to go without seeing a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost (14.87%).

Residents were only worse off in three other states. South Dakota ranked ninth highest for health care costs per person ($11,736) and had the third highest increase in health care spending per person over a five-year period (24.38%), according to Forbes.

Forbes said Louisiana residents with employer-provided health insurance pay some of the highest premiums in the nation. Employees with a family plan there pay $6,999 annually (the second highest amount).

And, also according to Forbes, West Virginia residents with individual health insurance from the Affordable Care Act marketplace pay the fourth highest annual premiums in the nation ($8,024).

Another similar study by the Commonwealth Fund came up with numbers showing families in Florida, even with insurance provided by an employer, paid as much as $7,674 for a family policy. And, individual workers opting for employer-supplied insurance were paying an average of $1,811, the third highest in the country, according to Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth report said the average amount Florida workers paid for premiums — which come out of their paychecks — and deductibles was $9,284 in 2020, or 16% of the state's median income. Ten years ago, Florida's workers paid $5,205 — or 11% of the state's median income.

"One reason the state's health insurance costs are so high is because Florida's employers are not covering as much of the costs as employers in other parts of the country," said Sara Collins, the study's lead author and a vice president for Commonwealth.

Collins said, in the report filed online, that "the median income in Florida is lower than the national average, actually significantly lower. So it's really a perfect storm for high cost burdens."

Commonwealth said families in Florida, on average, had to pay 37% of their income on premiums, or $7,674. That was the highest in the nation.

Obamacare, which has open enrollment now, can help those with low incomes or unemployed.

The average cost of an Obamacare plan ranges from $328 to $482 depending on the type of plan, and where you live. To be eligible you must be a U.S. citizen earning more than 100% of the federal poverty level. That means $13,590 in 2023 for an individual. For a family of four, that means an income of at least $27,750.

If you're unemployed you may be able to get an affordable health insurance plan through the Marketplace, with savings based on your income and household size. You may also qualify for free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

You can check on Marketplace coverage by calling 1-800-318-2596.