Cheapest ACA plans in Florida for 2026

Cheapest plans by metal tier

Lowest 2026 monthly premium for a single 40-year-old non-tobacco user, on-exchange, before any subsidy. Per-age figures derived from the CMS QHP Landscape file using the HHS standardized age-rating curve (45 CFR 147.102).

The actual cheapest plan in major counties

Same data the search returns: carrier, plan name, monthly premium, individual deductible, individual MOOP. Computed for a single 40-year-old non-tobacco user, before any subsidy. Catastrophic plans excluded because adults 30+ typically need a hardship-exemption certificate to enroll.

The actual cheapest plan for a family of four

Two 40-year-old adults and two kids in the 0-14 age band, before any subsidy. Carrier, plan name, premium, deductible, and MOOP exactly as the search would return them.

Subsidies: federal APTC only (no state premium subsidy)

Florida does not operate a state-funded premium assistance program, state reinsurance program, or §1332 waiver for the individual market. The only financial help for Marketplace enrollees is federal:

1. Federal Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC). Households 100-400% FPL, standard ACA contribution curve with a hard 400% FPL cliff. The ARPA / IRA enhanced subsidies expired 2025-12-31 and are not in effect for 2026, so PY2026 net premiums are meaningfully higher than PY2025 for most subsidized enrollees, and households above 400% FPL get no APTC.
2. Federal cost-sharing reductions (CSRs). Households 100-250% FPL enrolled in a Silver plan get reduced deductibles, copays, and out-of-pocket maximums automatically.

Florida's approved average PY2026 gross rate change was about +31.5%. More than 95% of Florida Marketplace enrollees received federal premium subsidies for PY2026.

Medicaid non-expansion and the Florida coverage gap

Florida has not adopted ACA Medicaid expansion. Roughly 800,000 to 1.4 million low-income Floridians fall into the coverage gap: income too high for Florida's narrow Medicaid eligibility (generally pregnant women, children, seniors, people with disabilities, and very low-income parents) but below the 100% FPL floor for APTC in non-expansion states. Non-disabled adults without dependent children earning between $0 and 100% FPL are generally ineligible for both Medicaid and Marketplace subsidies. A ballot initiative to expand Medicaid was postponed to 2028 after HB 1205 petition-law costs surged. Applicants in the gap should look at community health centers, hospital charity care, and county indigent-care programs.

Catastrophic plans in Florida follow federal rules

Florida follows the federal ACA default: Catastrophic plans are available to enrollees under age 30, or at any age with an approved hardship / affordability exemption. The PY2026 federal auto-expansion applies in Florida (adults 30+ automatically eligible when the lowest-cost Bronze plan exceeds the affordability threshold). Catastrophic plans in Florida appear to be concentrated in the HMO segment per Florida CFO carrier listings. APTC does not apply to Catastrophic plans.

Tobacco surcharges follow the federal 1.5x default in Florida

Florida applies the federal ACA default (45 CFR 147.102): carriers may charge tobacco users up to 50% more than non-users (a 1.5-to-1 rate ratio). Florida has no state-specific cap below 1.5x; the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation reviews filed rates under Fla. Stat. Chapter 627. Federal APTC does not cover the tobacco portion of the premium, so the full surcharge comes out of pocket for tobacco users.

Carriers selling 2026 plans in Florida

18 carriers, 11,701 plans across 67 counties. 7,563 sold on Healthcare.gov, 4,138 off-exchange-only direct from carriers. Florida Blue is the only carrier contracted statewide in all 67 counties. Aetna exited effective 12/31/2025. Rural panhandle and north-central counties are often Florida Blue monopolies, while South Florida and the I-4 corridor see aggressive competition.

Enrollment

Open Enrollment for 2026 coverage runs November 1, 2025 through January 15, 2026. Enroll by December 15 for a January 1 effective date; December 16 through January 15 takes effect February 1. Special Enrollment is available year-round for qualifying life events.

Direct enrollment: healthcare.gov.

Frequently asked questions