President Donald Trump’s plan to put the government’s cold, hard cash in Americans’ hands for health care would appear a boon to hundreds of thousands of Floridians dropping off the government-supported health insurance marketplace as plan premiums soar.
After 10 years of promising a plan, Trump on Jan. 15 said he will end “this flagrant scam” — referring to the status quo — as reports emerged that 1.4 million Americans, including 260,000 Floridians, have been dropped from the rolls of Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act. Premiums have been soaring since pandemic-era subsidies expired with the dawn of 2026.
Still, the government health care plan that Trump routinely calls “a disaster” in 2025 insured more Floridians — an estimated 4.7 million of them — than ever before since its introduction in 2010 and at a higher percentage than any other state in the country. About 25% of the state was enrolled in 2025, reflecting the Sunshine State’s gig economy and large number of retirees who move here before they become eligible for Medicare.
The rollout of the Great Healthcare Plan — a 5-minute presentation from the Oval Office and a fact sheet less than 1,000 words — left some Florida health insurance experts wanting more and unsure if it would protect Americans from getting wiped out by medical expenses in the event of a health crisis, or even just a broken leg.
“Really, there’s not enough detail to call this a plan,” said Evan Saltzman, a Florida State University professor in the Department of Risk Management/Insurance, Real Estate and Legal Studies.
Here are some of the key unanswered questions:
1. Would it replace the Affordable Care Act?
Trump did say he would end “big payoffs to big insurance companies” and give money directly to the people. But he did not say explicitly that he would repeal Obamacare. Some of the analyses point out that some aspects of Obamacare are in his plan, but it has not yet been fleshed out as legislation and Congress would have to act for it to become a reality.
2. How much money goes to enrollees and how would it be distributed?
To Saltzman, who specializes in analyzing different health care structures, those two details are glaring gaps in the plan.
“We don’t know how much,” Saltzman said. “Also, how is the money going to be allocated? Is it going to be the same way as the (Obamacare) subsidies work where lower-income people get higher subsidies?”
3. How can health insurance money be spent?
Trump said the subsidies he’s talking about would go directly for “health care” which could mean the money to buy health insurance. It’s a move that might mean more flexibility in buying appropriate health insurance, Saltzman said.
Other Republicans have specifically advocated for distributing health care dollars into individual health savings account, known as HSAs. If paying for health insurance premiums through these HSAs were on the menu, it would likely require a change in rules governing HSAs. Generally, these accounts can only be used for qualified medical expenses only, not health insurance.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel of West Palm Beach points out that the money Trump says his plan will distribute is not likely to be enough to pay for significant medical events, which are the biggest cause of bankruptcy in the United States. It wouldn’t cover treating a broken leg, she said.
“That could cost $20,000,” Frankel said. “He’s not giving that out.”
4. Would people with pre-existing conditions be guaranteed coverage?
The framework does not explicitly say people with pre-existing conditions are protected nor does it cap the maximum out-of-pocket expenses that health care expenses may present, according to an analysis from KFF, a health policy research group.
5. Would more people get insurance under Trump’s plan?
Handed some health care cash, young people likely would not want to spend their health care bucks on buying insurance. Arthur Novoseletsky, a senior vice president at Brown & Brown, a national insurance brokerage headquartered in Daytona Beach, said he wouldn’t have spent it in his younger days.
At worst, the Great Healthcare Plan would mean healthier people would be less likely to buy insurance, leaving only the sicker people in the plans, Novoseletsky said.
“You do need the healthy people to buy the insurance otherwise it’s going to create a death spiral in the insurance market,” Novoseletsky said.
Another scenario means that people would use their government money to buy plans that don’t comply with ACA regulations, like covering pre-existing conditions. That would mean fewer people in the market that has more coverage, especially for people with pre-existing conditions.
Anne Geggis is statewide reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK FLORIDA, reporting on health and senior issues. If you have news tips, please send them to ageggis@usatodayco.com. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://palmbeachpost.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 5 key questions for Floridians as Trump rolls out ‘Great Healthcare Plan’
Reporting by Anne Geggis, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
