In the News
FACT SHEET: Republicans’ Agenda Could Raise Health Care Costs in Florida
Congressional Republicans, including Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, are once again proposing a budget that would make trillions in cuts to essential programs. While Republicans have been “intentionally vague” about where these cuts would come from, evidence from past statements, proposals, and previous budget plans provide a preview: Virtually every Republican budget or fiscal plan over the last decade has included repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and deep cuts to Medicaid.
In addition to Scott and Rubio, other Florida Republicans like Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump have all pushed for repealing the Affordable Care Act, attacked Medicaid expansion, and refused to tackle Florida’s record-high health care costs and rate of uninsured individuals.
HERE ARE THE FACTS ABOUT HOW REPUBLICANS’ PROPOSAL COULD IMPACT FLORIDA:
- Republican plans to cut the ACA would mean endangering the health care coverage of millions of Floridians, even though Florida has a larger share of residents—3.2 million in 2023—who get health care coverage through the ACA marketplace than any other state.
- At least 3.5 million Floridians with pre-existing conditions could lose critical protections if Republican attempts to repeal the ACA are successful. Before the ACA, Floridians with pre-existing health conditions could be denied coverage or charged more if they tried to buy individual market health insurance.
- More than a million Floridians could lose protections against catastrophic medical bills if Republicans repeal the ACA’s provisions for out-of-pocket cost limits. Before the ACA, insurance plans were not required to limit enrollees’ total costs and almost one in five people with employer coverage had no limit on out-of-pocket costs.
- Millions of Floridians are enrolled in Medicaid. Floridians with Medicaid could be at risk of losing critical services or coverage. Cutting federal funding to Medicaid would force states to make eligibility changes that would make it harder for Floridians to qualify for and enroll in Medicaid coverage.
- Hundreds of thousands of Florida’s seniors and Floridians with disabilities could receive worse home care services and face ballooning wait lists for those still waiting for care.
- Tens of thousands of nursing home residents in Florida would be at risk of lower quality care because over 60% of nursing home residents are covered by Medicaid. Republican cuts to federal funding would mean cuts to Florida’s nursing homes and worse care for Florida’s seniors.