Consumers will see fundamental changes this year when it comes to signing up for 2018 Affordable Care Act marketplace insurance, from a shorter open enrollment period to regular planned outages at Healthcare.gov. Fewer people will be available to help consumers understand the costs and benefits of different plans, due to federal funding reductions to navigator programs. In Florida and Texas, all of these changes come as the states work to recover from last summer’s devastating hurricanes.

On Friday, Oct. 27, 2017, the Kaiser Family Foundation held a web briefing focusing on key information for individuals shopping for marketplace coverage in Florida and Texas.

The session offered a framework for understanding premiums and financial assistance in marketplaces in these two states, along with an overview of how many insurers are offering plans. It outlined important new rules that could affect coverage for individuals and their families, and provided state-specific insights on what consumers can expect and where they can go for help.

Panelists included:

• Karen Pollitz, senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation;
• Jennifer Tolbert, director of state health reform and associate director of the Foundation’s Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured;
• Jodi Ray, director, Florida Covering Kids and Families; and
• Daniel Bouton, director of community health services, Community Council, Dallas.