Short-Term Health Insurance in Florida: 2027 Rules
A short-term health plan in Florida is a temporary policy meant to fill a gap of weeks or a few months, not a full replacement for major medical coverage. It can exclude pre-existing conditions, cap what it pays and decline applicants, and Florida adds its own rules on top of the federal limits. With Florida Marketplace premiums rising 10.4% on average for 2027, more people are looking at short-term plans, so it pays to know what they leave out. I don't sell short-term plans; this page explains how they work in Florida and the year-round options I do offer.
Private health insurance in Florida
Most people I help in Florida end up on a private plan, not a Marketplace plan. Private, medically underwritten health insurance is priced on your age, zip code and health instead of your income, so a strong year never raises your premium and there is no tax credit to pay back in April.
Why people leave the Marketplace
- Premiums keep climbing. Florida Marketplace premiums are rising 10.4% on average for 2027.
- The subsidy cliff. Above 400 percent of the poverty level ($63,840 for one person, $132,000 for a family of four) you pay full price.
- Surprise tax bills. Underestimate your income and you repay the tax credit in April.
- Narrow networks. Many plans are local HMOs or EPOs that need referrals and cover little outside the area.
- High out-of-pocket costs. 2027 out-of-pocket maximums reach $12,000 per person and $24,000 per family.
- One window a year. Outside open enrollment you need a qualifying life event to enroll or switch.
What a private plan does differently
- Start any month. If approved, coverage can begin the first of next month, with no wait for open enrollment.
- Networks that travel. Many private plans use national PPO networks, which can give you in-network doctors outside Florida too. Networks vary by plan.
- Can cost less than full-price Marketplace plans for some healthy applicants above the subsidy line.
- Accident coverage the Marketplace does not offer. A private plan can be paired with accident coverage, a separate policy. What it includes varies by plan.
- Approval is based on health. You answer health questions, and acceptance is not guaranteed.
With a significant health condition, or income low enough for a large tax credit, a Marketplace plan can be the better fit, and I will tell you if it is. Either way you see both side by side.
Private plans are not ACA Marketplace plans. Benefits, exclusions and pre-existing condition rules differ by plan and by state, so review the plan details before you enroll.
Get a private plan quoteLearn more: coverage not based on income · how underwriting works · private vs Obamacare · PPO plans for individuals · switching from the Marketplace
Short-term plan rules in Florida
Florida allows short-term coverage by statute. Section 627.6525, Florida Statutes, defines short-term health insurance as a policy with an initial term under 12 months and a total duration, including renewals or extensions, of no more than 36 months, and it requires a written disclosure warning that the plan skips federal ACA rules and may exclude or limit pre-existing conditions. Oversight belongs to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. The 2024 federal rule capping these plans at four months remains on paper, but federal departments said in August 2025 they would not prioritize enforcing it and planned new rules; no final rule had been issued as of late 2026, so Florida sellers again offer the longer state-allowed terms. Individual insurers may still cap plans at six or 12 months.
When a short-term plan fits in Florida, and what to use instead
Florida's tourism and hospitality workforce sees constant job changes: a server moving between Orlando resorts, or a construction worker finishing one project before the next. For a few weeks of coverage, a short-term plan can work, but it excludes conditions you already have, isn't ACA coverage, and receives no subsidy. Floridians use HealthCare.gov, and losing employer coverage opens a 60-day window to enroll there, often with tax credits that can shrink the monthly premium considerably. As a Tampa-based broker, Frank also writes year-round medically underwritten private plans, which, if approved, can start the first of any month, useful when the special enrollment deadline has already passed.
The Florida individual market
Florida buyers shop the largest individual market in the country through HealthCare.gov, with no state exchange and no state subsidy above the federal 400 percent income line. Leaving an employer with fewer than 20 workers triggers Florida's own continuation law, which keeps the group plan for up to 18 months at up to 115 percent of the premium if you notify the insurer within 63 days. Florida law also allows short-term plans with an initial term under 12 months and up to 36 months in total, one of the more permissive rules in the country. For 2027, average individual premiums rise about 10 percent, and plan choice and networks vary enormously by county, so the same coverage decision can come out differently in Hillsborough, Miami-Dade and the Panhandle.
Other Florida rules to know
- Leaving a small employer: If you leave an employer with fewer than 20 employees, Florida's Health Insurance Coverage Continuation Act lets you keep the group plan for up to 18 months, at up to 115 percent of the premium, if you notify the insurer in writing within 63 days.
- Short-term plans: Florida law allows short-term plans with an initial term under 12 months and up to 36 months in total, and federal agencies are not prioritizing enforcement of the federal four-month limit, so multi-month plans are sold in Florida.
- Where to enroll: Florida uses HealthCare.gov. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Private, medically underwritten plans can start the first of any month if approved.
- 2027 rates: individual plans 10.4% on average, small-group plans about 11.4%. See the Florida 2027 rate page.
What a short-term plan is
Short-term limited-duration insurance is temporary coverage outside the ACA rules. It can ask health questions, turn applicants down, exclude conditions you already have and leave out benefits such as maternity care, mental health care or prescriptions. It is not Marketplace coverage, so no subsidy applies to it.
Why the time limit matters
A 2024 federal rule caps short-term plans at three months, or four with renewals. In August 2025 federal regulators said they would not prioritize enforcing that cap, so the real limit now depends on your state, from a few months to as long as three years. However long it lasts, when the plan ends you are not guaranteed a new one, and losing a short-term plan does not open a Marketplace enrollment window.
The two options that last all year
A Marketplace plan accepts everyone during open enrollment or within 60 days of losing other coverage. A medically underwritten private plan is year-round coverage priced on age, ZIP code and health; it is not a Marketplace plan, approval depends on your health answers, benefits vary by plan, and if approved it can start the first of a month. For most people who need more than a short bridge, one of these two is the better fit.
For 2027 the Marketplace credit stops at 400 percent of the poverty level: $63,840 for one person, $86,560 for two and $132,000 for a family of four. The out-of-pocket maximum for 2027 Marketplace plans is $12,000 for one person and $24,000 for a family. The full guide covers the rest.
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Florida questions
Where do Florida residents enroll in 2027 coverage?
Florida uses HealthCare.gov. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027.
What continuation rights does Florida give after leaving a small employer?
If you leave an employer with fewer than 20 employees, Florida's Health Insurance Coverage Continuation Act lets you keep the group plan for up to 18 months, at up to 115 percent of the premium, if you notify the insurer in writing within 63 days.
How much are Florida premiums rising for 2027?
Individual-market premiums are set to rise 10.4% on average, and small-group plans about 11.4%.
Is a short-term plan cheaper than a Marketplace plan?
The premium often is, but the plan covers less, can exclude pre-existing conditions and ends after a few months. Compare it with what you would actually pay for care under each option.
Can I get a short-term plan after open enrollment ends?
Where your state allows them, yes, but they are temporary. A year-round private plan can also be applied for in any month and, if approved, can start the first of a month.
Sources: www.flsenate.gov, floir.com, www.healthinsurance.org, www.cms.gov. Facts checked October 2026. See all Florida health insurance rules.
Short-term plans in other states
Written by Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance agent in Florida and 30 other states, NPN 21032307.