Catastrophic health plans in Florida: who can buy one
Who can buy a catastrophic health plan in Florida for 2027, what it covers before the $12,000 deductible, and how it compares with fixed indemnity.
You can buy a catastrophic plan in Florida for 2027 if you're under 30 when the year starts, or if the Marketplace gives you a hardship or affordability exemption. Earning too much for a tax credit doesn't qualify you on its own in 2027, because a federal court paused that rule. The deductible is $12,000 for one person. Before you reach it, the plan still covers preventive care and at least 3 primary care visits a year.
Who can buy one for 2027
There are three ways in.
- You're 29 or younger on January 1, 2027. Turning 30 later in the year doesn't take the plan away.
- You get a hardship exemption, because something in the last 2 years kept you from getting coverage.
- You get an affordability exemption, because the cheapest coverage you could buy, through the Marketplace or a job, would cost more than 8.5% of your household income in 2027.
The hardship list on HealthCare.gov includes eviction or foreclosure, bankruptcy, a utility shut-off notice, homelessness, medical bills you couldn't pay, a disaster that damaged your home, the death of a close family member, domestic violence, and caring for a sick, disabled or aging relative. Losing your job doesn't count by itself.
One item on that list matters in Florida: being ineligible for Medicaid because your state didn't expand it. Florida didn't, so adults in the coverage gap can ask for a hardship exemption.
To get either exemption, fill out the application on HealthCare.gov and send documents that show your situation or income. If you're approved, you get a letter with an exemption number to use when you enroll. For 2027 coverage, send it before January 1, 2027.
The income rule that won't apply in 2027
In September 2025, CMS said people who couldn't get a tax credit because of their income, under 100% or over 400% of the poverty level, could get a hardship exemption for 2026. CMS then wrote a version into its 2027 rule, for incomes under 100% or over 250%.
On July 16, 2026, a federal court in Maryland paused that part of the 2027 rule, and the 2025 guidance with it, while a lawsuit goes on. On August 4, 2026, CMS confirmed it won't go into effect as written.
So for 2027, being over the income line doesn't get you a catastrophic plan by itself. The case isn't over, and this could change. If you're 30 or older and bought a catastrophic plan for 2026 that way, check whether you qualify another way before you count on keeping it.
What a catastrophic plan covers
A catastrophic plan covers the same essential health benefits as any Marketplace plan: doctor visits, hospital care, emergencies, maternity, mental health and prescriptions. Pre-existing conditions are covered and there are no health questions. What changes is when the plan starts paying.
- Preventive care, like a yearly checkup and many screenings, is free in network.
- At least 3 primary care visits a year are covered before the deductible.
- For everything else, you pay until you reach the deductible, which is $12,000 for one person in 2027.
- After that, the plan pays 100% of covered in-network care for the rest of the year.
The deductible and the out-of-pocket maximum are the same number. That makes your worst year easy to see: $12,000 plus your premiums.
Catastrophic plans work with a health savings account. You can't use a tax credit on one, and they don't get the extra Silver savings. If you qualify for a credit, a Bronze plan may end up cheaper. Our Marketplace guide explains the metal levels.
Not every county has one. In 2026, 11 of the 12 large Florida counties we track had at least one catastrophic plan, usually from a single company, and Duval had none. Your quote shows what's sold at your ZIP code for 2027.
Catastrophic or HPG if you're healthy and over the subsidy line
For 2027, one person earning more than $63,840 gets no tax credit on any Marketplace plan. If you're young and healthy, the two lower-priced options people compare are a catastrophic plan and UnitedHealthcare Health ProtectorGuard (HPG), a fixed indemnity plan we also offer. They work very differently.
| Catastrophic plan | HPG fixed indemnity | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can buy | Under 30, or with an exemption | Ages 18 to 64 who pass the health questions |
| When you can enroll | Open Enrollment or a Special Enrollment Period | Any month |
| Pre-existing conditions | Covered | Can be limited |
| How it pays | Nothing until the deductible, except preventive care and at least 3 primary care visits | A set dollar amount per service, from the first visit |
| Most you can owe in a year | $12,000 for covered in-network care (2027) | No limit |
| Counts as health coverage under the ACA | Yes | No |
HPG pays fixed amounts no matter what the bill is. On Select 2000, that's $80 per sick visit for up to 4 visits a year, $300 a day in the ER for up to 3 days, and $2,000 per day in the hospital plus a $2,000 admission benefit. Whatever the bill costs beyond that is yours, with no ceiling. In our October 2026 quotes, a 25-year-old non-smoker paid $68 to $209 a month for HPG, depending on sex and plan.
Our view: if you qualify for a catastrophic plan and could cover $12,000 in a bad year, it's the safer choice, because a serious diagnosis has a ceiling. HPG can make sense if you missed Open Enrollment, you're 30 or older with no exemption, or you'd rather trade that ceiling for benefits that start paying at the first visit. Just know that dropping HPG doesn't open a Special Enrollment Period, so moving to an ACA plan later usually means waiting for Open Enrollment.
If you're older and just over the income line, look at the affordability exemption before ruling out a catastrophic plan. Full-price plans cost more as you age, and 8.5% of income is the test. Our ACA vs fixed indemnity page goes through the trade-offs line by line.
See what you can buy
If you're under 30, our quote form shows the catastrophic plans sold at your ZIP code next to Bronze and HPG prices. If you're applying with an exemption, use the chat to have one of our licensed agents call you about next steps. Our help is free.