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Care Affordable, Floridians Say, But Becoming Less So

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

Across the country and in Florida, most say their health care is a good value, according to a national poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

"But then again, when you look more in depth, what you see is a third of Floridians said that their health care became less affordable over the last two years,” said Harvard professor and study co-director Robert Blendon.

Among insured Floridians, 44 percent said their premiums increased, and 32 percent said their co-pays and deductibles increased. While Floridians said the cost of coverage went up, less than 1 in 5 said they saw their benefits increase.

Health care costs have created financial problems for about three in 10 in Florida.

Across the country, it's slightly lower, with about 25 percent saying health care costs have caused financial problems for themselves and their families.

Lottie Watts is a reporter and producer with WUSFin Tampa. Health News Florida receives support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Lottie Watts covers health and health policy for Health News Florida, now a part of WUSF Public Media. She also produces Florida Matters, WUSF's weekly public affairs show.