Floridians like nurse Bianca lose healthcare, seek change at polls

Bianca, a 32‑year‑old registered nurse in Collier County, will vote in the Nov. 3 midterm election after her health‑insurance premium doubled in January and she lost coverage for essential asthma and mental‑health visits. Early voting began Oct. 19 in several South‑Florida counties and runs through Nov. 1, with the election poised to decide whether new congressional representatives will restore federal subsidies that many Floridians say are essential to keeping care affordable.

The premium surge traces back to Dec. 2025 when the Trump administration let expire the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies the Biden administration introduced during the Covid‑19 pandemic. Democrats in the Senate voted to extend the subsidies, but Republicans opposed the move. Without the extra help, premiums spiked nationwide, hitting Florida hardest because the state has the nation’s highest number of ACA enrollees and a large gig‑economy workforce. In 2025, 4.3 million Floridians were on ACA plans; federal data show that 443,000 fewer people had health coverage in 2026. Florida also declined to expand Medicaid, leaving a gap for low‑income residents.

Bianca’s story mirrors the broader crisis. After the premium hike, she and her husband could not afford the new rate, canceled doctor appointments, and resorted to loans to pay emergency‑room bills and pneumonia medication. She now backs Democratic congressional candidate Pia Dandiya, who is running in the newly competitive 22nd District that includes parts of Tampa and South Florida. Dandiya’s platform calls for reinstating the ACA subsidies, reversing Trump‑era Medicaid cuts, and lowering drug prices. “Pia is trying to expand the Affordable Care Act, which is crucial for families like mine,” Bianca said.

The election will be a test of whether Florida voters will prioritize health‑care reform. If Dandiya and other pro‑ACA candidates win, they could push federal legislation to restore subsidies and pressure the state to reconsider Medicaid expansion. With premiums expected to rise again as open enrollment opens, the outcome may determine whether millions more Floridians retain coverage or face another loss of care.