The future of Hillsborough's health care plan is uncertain
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Nicole Chapman of Seminole Heights lost her Medicaid coverage in 2020 when her youngest child turned 18. So when she started feeling sick, she turned to telehealth and out-of-pocket urgent care.
- But it wasn't until a county worker helped her enroll in Hillsborough County's Health Care Plan that doctors discovered she had a 10-inch tumor. The plan covered the surgery to remove it.
Why it matters: About 1 in 6 adults under 65 in Hillsborough County lack health insurance and, for decades, the county's plan has helped fill that gap.
The big picture: Enrollment in the program has increased 20% since Affordable Care Act subsidies expired in December, causing premiums to triple.
Driving the news: The county's DOGE committee recommended phasing out the health care plan, created in 1991, arguing that it is no longer needed due to "Medicaid modernization and the Affordable Care Act marketplace."
- The recommendation comes as the county, while working on next year's budget, looks for ways to offset the revenue it could lose if voters approve a measure on November's ballot that would slash property taxes.
- Commissioners already discussed scaling back the health care plan during a January workshop.
What they're saying: "Losing the program would be devastating," Chapman told Axios.
- "You know how they always say to put your own oxygen mask on before helping someone else? Having insurance is like putting your own mask on first so you can take care of your family," she added.
Zoom in: Hillsborough is one of six Florida counties that use a dedicated sales surtax to help fund health care for uninsured, low-income residents.
- County commissioners created the program to ease the financial burden on Tampa General Hospital, the county's public hospital, which was struggling to absorb the costs of uncompensated care.
- The goal was to steer patients away from expensive emergency room visits and into a primary care system focused on early intervention.
How it works: Applicants must be legally in the U.S., ages 18–64 and residents of Hillsborough County. They also must be ineligible for other health coverage, including Medicare or Medicaid.
- They must also earn no more than 175% of the federal poverty level — $27,930 annually for an individual or $57,750 for a family of four.
- Its network includes 13 local hospitals and more than 30 primary health care clinics. Last year, the health care plan processed over 800,000 medical claims, including nearly 60,000 primary care visits.