Affordable Care Act

Some consumers who bought health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act have had a tough start to the year: Many say it's hard to find an in-network doctor or hospital.

Designed to prevent doctors from deploying expensive, ineffectual procedures, preauthorization has morphed into a monster that denies or delays care, burdens physicians with paperwork and perpetuates racial disparities.

Jodi Ray, director Florida Covering Kids & Families, says she’s had more resources and new strategies for getting info out. The navigator group has placed an emphasis on application due dates and letting people know where to go for help.

Florida has more enrollees in the Affordable Care Act marketplace than any other state, with more than 3.2 million people, or 20 percent of the country’s totals.

More logistical help is among the reasons nearly 16 million have signed up for a plan.. In Florida, the Tampa Bay Navigator Project went from having 16 navigators to 35, more than double the staff.

Health care navigators help people sign up for insurance plans available on the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

Since 2017, Medicaid expansion has been adopted in seven states where a question was placed directly on the ballot. But campaign leaders say that strategy may not work in Florida.

Navigators at USF have received thousands of calls in need of help sorting through the complexities of the health care market, and leaders expect more people to reach out as the deadline looms closer..

Nearly 3.4 million people have signed up — an increase of 17% compared to the same time last year. The boost in enrollment comes as the number of uninsured Americans this year reached a historic low of 8%, according to HHS.

Complaints about misleading health insurance marketing are soaring. State insurance commissioners are taking notice. They’ve created a shared internal database to monitor questionable business practices.