The enhanced subsidies expired in January - but $0/month bronze plans didn't disappear. Here's exactly who still qualifies and how to check in about two minutes.
$0/month bronze plans are still available in Florida for 2026. If your household earns between 100% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Level ($15,650–$62,600 for an individual; $32,150–$128,600 for a family of four), you qualify for premium tax credits - and at lower incomes, those credits often cover a bronze premium completely.
The enhanced premium tax credits that boosted ACA subsidies from 2021 through 2025 expired on January 1, 2026. The standard subsidies created by the original law are still in place, but the extra layer on top is gone.
The impact is real. KFF estimates that average out-of-pocket premium payments roughly doubled for 2026 - a 114% increase, about $1,016 more per year on average. And the "subsidy cliff" is back: households above 400% of the Federal Poverty Level no longer get any premium help.
Here's the part most headlines skip: because of how Florida carriers price their plans, $0/month bronze plans are still widely available for many lower-income households. The fastest way to find out where you stand is to check your real 2026 prices on HealthSherpa - it takes about two minutes and shows every plan available in your ZIP code.
Premium tax credits go to households earning between 100% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), based on the 2025 federal poverty guidelines used for 2026 coverage. The lower your income within that range, the larger your credit - and at lower incomes, the credit is frequently bigger than the full premium of a bronze plan.
| FPL level | Individual | Family of 4 | What it typically means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100% | $15,650 | $32,150 | Minimum income for subsidies; $0 bronze very common |
| 150% | $23,475 | $48,225 | $0 bronze common; richest silver cost-sharing reductions |
| 250% | $39,125 | $80,375 | Strong subsidies; $0 bronze possible depending on age and county |
| 400% | $62,600 | $128,600 | Last dollar of subsidy eligibility - above this, no credit |
Two real-world examples: a single rideshare driver in Broward County earning $24,000 a year sits at about 153% FPL - $0 bronze options will almost certainly appear in their results. A family of four in Miami-Dade earning $50,000 is at roughly 156% FPL and is in the same boat.
Your age and county matter too, because credits are calculated against a local benchmark plan. That's why two people with identical incomes in different ZIP codes can see different $0 options - and why checking your actual quote beats reading any chart, including this one.
"Free" gets people's attention, but the premium is only half the math. Bronze plans typically carry deductibles of $7,000 or more, which means you pay heavily out of pocket before most coverage kicks in.
If your income is below 250% FPL - and especially below 200% - cost-sharing reductions (CSR) change the equation. CSRs are available only on silver plans, and below 200% FPL they can cut a silver deductible from several thousand dollars down to a few hundred. A silver plan that costs $40–$80 a month with a $500 deductible often beats a $0 bronze plan with a $7,500 deductible the first time you actually need care.
"I tell clients the premium is the price of the ticket, not the price of the ride. Under 200% of the poverty level, I almost always run the silver-with-CSR numbers next to the $0 bronze - and silver wins more often than people expect." — Victor Oliveira, Licensed Health Insurance Broker, Fort Lauderdale
The right answer depends on how much care you expect to use. Rarely see a doctor and mainly want catastrophic protection? $0 bronze is a legitimate choice. Take regular prescriptions or manage a condition? Run the silver math first. Every plan on the marketplace, at every tier, covers pre-existing conditions and the 10 essential health benefits.
Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027. Outside that window, you can enroll within 60 days of a qualifying life event - losing other coverage, moving, getting married or divorced, or having a baby, among others.
One important change: the year-round enrollment window for households under 150% FPL was eliminated by CMS effective August 25, 2025. Low income alone no longer opens an enrollment opportunity - you need a qualifying event. Here's the full list of qualifying events and how the 60-day window works.
Check your real 2026 subsidy and compare every available plan, or have Victor run the bronze-vs-silver math with you. Both are free.
Yes. Even after the enhanced subsidies expired in January 2026, $0/month bronze plans are still available to many lower-income Florida households because of how carriers price their plans. $0 silver plans, however, are mostly gone in 2026.
Premium tax credits go to households earning 100% to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level - roughly $15,650 to $62,600 for an individual and $32,150 to $128,600 for a family of four in 2026. $0 bronze plans show up most often toward the lower end of that range, and your age and county also affect the result.
The monthly premium is genuinely $0, but you still pay deductibles and copays when you use care, and bronze deductibles often run $7,000 or more. If your income is under about 200% of the poverty level, a low-cost silver plan with cost-sharing reductions often delivers far better total value than a $0 bronze plan.