Before you start

Florida residence
Income information for subsidy eligibility
An SSN or ITIN for marketplace applications
A qualifying life event, if enrolling outside the annual window

Step-by-step

1
Enrol in your employer's plan within the new-hire window
Typically 30 days from your start date. In a state without Medicaid expansion, employer coverage carries more weight than it would in New York or California — compare deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums between offers, not just salary.
Via employerWho: YouFirst 30 days of employment
2
Without an employer plan, use HealthCare.gov
Florida does not run its own exchange. Open enrolment for 2026 plans ran from 1 November 2025 to 15 January 2026. Outside that window you need a qualifying life event. Florida's marketplace is the largest in the country, so plan choice and broker support are both good.
OnlineWho: You
3
Check your subsidy eligibility with real numbers
Subsidies phase in above a floor set by the federal poverty level. In expansion states Medicaid catches people below it; in Florida it largely does not. Run your actual expected income through the HealthCare.gov estimator rather than assuming either way.
OnlineWho: You
4
Register with a primary care physician
Your PCP gates specialist access in most plans. Confirm network status with the practice directly rather than the insurer directory, which is frequently wrong, and do it before you are ill. Spanish-speaking practices are widely available across the county.
OnlineWho: You
5
Learn the urgent care versus emergency room distinction
An ER visit for something a clinic could treat can cost thousands even insured. Urgent care handles fractures, stitches and infections much more cheaply. Find your nearest and save it in your phone now.
In personWho: You
6
Know what happens in a hurricane
Pharmacies can authorise early prescription refills ahead of a declared storm, and you should not wait until an evacuation order to try. Keep a month of any essential medication, and keep your insurance card details somewhere accessible if you have to leave quickly.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Proof of Florida residence
Income documentation for subsidy eligibility
SSN or ITIN
Immigration documents for marketplace eligibility categories
Evidence of losing prior coverage, if using a special enrolment period

Things most newcomers don’t know

Florida has the country's largest marketplace and no Medicaid expansion at once.

These sound contradictory but they are connected: because Florida did not expand Medicaid, far more low- and middle-income people buy subsidised marketplace plans than in expansion states. The upside is genuine choice and a large broker ecosystem. The downside is the gap below the subsidy floor, which catches people whose income drops.

Source: CMS — 2026 Marketplace Open Enrollment report

Hurricane season changes how you manage prescriptions.

Florida law allows early prescription refills ahead of a declared emergency so residents are not caught without medication during an evacuation. Newcomers do not know to ask, and pharmacies rarely volunteer it. If you take anything essential, learn this rule in May rather than in September.

Source: Florida Department of Health — emergency preparedness

The deductible is what actually surprises newcomers.

US plans commonly make you pay the first several thousand dollars of care each year before the insurer contributes. Someone from a national health service reads 'I have insurance' as 'I am covered', then receives a $2,800 bill for a scan. Read the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum before the premium.

Source: community-reported

Losing job-based coverage opens a special enrolment window.

You do not have to wait for annual open enrolment if you lose employer coverage, move to Florida, marry or have a child. Each triggers a limited special enrolment period, typically 60 days.

Source: HealthCare.gov — dates and deadlines

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming Medicaid is a fallback — in Florida, for a working-age adult without children, it usually is not.
Missing the 30-day new-hire enrolment window.
Choosing on premium alone and hitting a five-figure deductible.
Not stocking essential medication before hurricane season, or not knowing early refills are permitted.
Assuming a provider is in-network because the insurer's directory lists them.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.