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More than 800,000 Floridians will qualify for Obamacare tax credits in 2016, study says

 
A computer is ready at Miami's Sunshine Life and Health Advisors to help people purchase insurance under the Affordable Care Act in 2013. This year, about 825,000 Floridians will be eligible for tax credits under the health care law, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The third annual Obamacare enrollment period begins Nov. 1, 2015. [Joe Raedle/Getty Images]
A computer is ready at Miami's Sunshine Life and Health Advisors to help people purchase insurance under the Affordable Care Act in 2013. This year, about 825,000 Floridians will be eligible for tax credits under the health care law, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The third annual Obamacare enrollment period begins Nov. 1, 2015. [Joe Raedle/Getty Images]
Published Oct. 13, 2015

About 825,000 uninsured Floridians will be eligible for tax credits to help cover the cost of health insurance when the third annual Obamacare enrollment period begins Nov. 1, according to a new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

But another 567,000 will fall in the so-called "coverage gap," meaning they make too little to receive tax credits but too much to qualify for Medicaid.

"The number is huge," said Laura Brennaman, the policy and research director for the consumer advocacy group Florida CHAIN. "It's only an estimate, but we know it's way too many."

Only one state has a larger gap. About 766,000 uninsured Texans aren't eligible for assistance, the analysis found.

The report comes three weeks before millions of Americans can begin signing up for health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

Since 2013, the federal health law has made tax credits available to people who earn between 100 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level (between $19,790 and $79,160 for a family of three in 2015).

To close the gaps in coverage, the law also gave states the option to expand eligibility for Medicaid, the state-federal program for low-income families. But Florida is among 20 states that have opted against expansion.

The decision was not made lightly. The debate in the Legislature was so intense that it brought the session to an abrupt end earlier this year.

State lawmakers are not expected to consider Medicaid expansion in 2016 because of continued opposition from conservative House leaders.

Of the 2.8 million uninsured Floridians, 30 percent are eligible for the tax credits and 11 percent are eligible for Medicaid, according to the Kaiser analysis.

Florida's coverage gap — which accounts for another 20 percent of the uninsured population — is smaller than it was in the spring, when Kaiser put the figure at 669,000.

The report did not give a reason for the change. Some experts speculate it is because the economy is improving and more people are taking jobs that offer health insurance benefits. But others think it is because Florida's Medicaid rolls are growing. A record 4 million residents will be part of the program this year, according to the latest figures from the state.

There are other reasons some uninsured Floridians don't qualify for help. About 290,000 make too much money, the analysis found. Another 417,000 have access to coverage through an employer, and 384,000 aren't eligible because of their immigration status.