Can you get Obamacare for $0 in Florida?
Who can pay $0 a month for an Obamacare plan in Florida in 2027, what a $0 premium still leaves you paying, and how to check your own price.
Some people can. A $0 plan means the tax credit pays the whole monthly premium. It doesn't mean free care. You still have a deductible, copays and an out-of-pocket maximum, and those can be high.
For 2027 coverage, a $0 premium mostly shows up on Bronze plans, for people with lower incomes, people who are older, or both. Adults in Florida earning under the poverty line usually get no credit at all, so "free Obamacare" isn't something everyone can get.
What "free Obamacare" really means
The Marketplace looks at the second-cheapest Silver plan in your area, called the benchmark. Based on your income, the law sets how much you're expected to pay toward that plan. The tax credit covers the rest of its price.
You can use that credit on any Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum plan. If you pick a plan that costs less than your credit, the premium drops to $0. Any credit left over isn't paid to you.
So the $0 is only the monthly bill. When you use care, you still pay the deductible first, then copays or coinsurance, until you reach the out-of-pocket maximum for the year. On a 2027 plan that maximum can be as high as $12,000 for one person. Preventive care, like a yearly checkup, is free in network on every plan.
Who is most likely to see a $0 premium in 2027
From 2021 through 2025, people earning up to 150% of the poverty level could get a benchmark Silver plan for $0. Those larger credits ended after 2025, and as of late October 2026 Congress hasn't brought them back.
For 2027 the IRS expects everyone who gets a credit to pay at least 2.15% of income toward the benchmark Silver plan. One person earning $20,000 is expected to pay about $36 a month toward it. So nobody gets the benchmark plan itself for $0 anymore. A $0 premium happens when a cheaper plan, usually a Bronze, costs less than the credit.
That's more likely if:
- Your income is on the low end, between 100% and about 150% of the poverty level ($15,960 to $23,940 for one person).
- You're older. Plan prices go up with age, but your expected share doesn't, so the credit grows.
- Your household is bigger, or you live where plans cost more, for the same reason.
At middle incomes, $0 is less common. In our October 2026 quotes on 2027 plans for a 40-year-old woman earning $40,000, the cheapest Bronze after the credit cost $74 to $154 a month across the 12 Florida counties we track.
Some people get no credit at all:
- Income under 100% of the poverty level. Florida didn't expand Medicaid, so many adults land in a gap with no credit and no Medicaid.
- Income over 400%: $63,840 for one person or $132,000 for a family of four, for 2027 coverage.
- Most lawfully present immigrants outside three groups. Starting January 1, 2027, the credit is limited to green card holders, Cuban and Haitian entrants and people here under a Compact of Free Association (COFA). People with other lawful statuses may still buy a plan, but without the savings.
$0 Bronze or a low-cost Silver?
A $0 Bronze is tempting. But if your income is between 100% and 250% of the poverty level, Silver plans come with cost-sharing reductions that cut the deductible, the copays and the out-of-pocket maximum. You only get them on Silver.
| Your 2027 income (one person) | Poverty level | Most a Silver plan can charge you in a year |
|---|---|---|
| $15,960 to $23,940 | 100% to 150% | $4,000 |
| $23,940 to $31,920 | 150% to 200% | $4,000 |
| $31,920 to $39,900 | 200% to 250% | $9,600 |
| Any income, any other plan | Any | $12,000 |
The deductible drops too, and most at the lowest incomes. In 2026, KFF found the average Silver deductible for people up to 150% of the poverty level was $80, against $5,304 on a standard Silver plan.
If you see doctors, take regular medicine or just want a lower worst case, a Silver plan that costs a little each month can beat a $0 Bronze by the end of the year. If you're healthy and could cover a big deductible, the $0 Bronze can make sense. Our tax credit guide shows how the numbers are figured.
What changes from year to year
Your price isn't locked in. Every fall the Marketplace figures a new credit from the new benchmark price, your new income estimate and the new poverty numbers. Insurers nationally asked for a median increase of about 15% for 2027, according to KFF. A plan that cost you $0 this year may not next year, even if you're renewed automatically.
Income matters more now, too. Starting with 2026 taxes, there's no cap on paying back extra credit. If you earn more than you estimated, you repay the difference in full when you file. Update your application when your income changes.
How to check your own price
Enter your ZIP code, age, household size and income on our quote form. It takes your estimated credit off every Marketplace plan, so you see what you'd really pay, $0 or not. No account and no phone number needed.
Open Enrollment for 2027 runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Sign up by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1. The Open Enrollment guide has the dates and what to have ready. We're not HealthCare.gov or a government website. The Marketplace makes the final decision on your credit.
If you earn too much for a credit, the form also shows UnitedHealthcare Health ProtectorGuard fixed indemnity plans. They aren't ACA coverage: they pay set amounts per service and have no out-of-pocket maximum. ACA vs fixed indemnity compares the two honestly.
Get your prices, or use the chat to have one of our licensed agents call you. Our help is free.