Free health insurance assistance is available to Monroe County Residents for a Special Enrollment Period and Tax Credits Reconciliation.
SPECIAL Enrollment PERIOD
If it’s not Open Enrollment Period, it’s Special Enrollment Period
You would qualify for a Special Enrollment Period 60 days before or after a qualifying life event such as:
- Losing health coverage from changing jobs, end of COBRA
- Moving to a new area
- Getting married or divorced
- Death of a spouse or dependent
- Having a baby or adopting a child
- Change in immigration status
- Medicaid denial
If you are not eligible for a Special Enrollment Period, there may be other coverage options for you to consider.
Carolyn Thomson
ACA Federally Certified and Licensed Health Care Advisor
305-767-3883
Importance of Health Insurance
No one plans on getting sick or injured. Health care is expensive. Health insurance can help with covering the costs of getting care and offers many other important benefits such as:
- Covers Essential Benefits, including Preventative care to stay healthy
- Covers pre-existing conditions
- Provides financial assistance with the high costs of medical care
TAX CREDITS RECONCILIATION
The way an ACA Marketplace plan works is that when someone applies for coverage, an Advanced Premium Tax Credit, a subsidy, is calculated according to the estimated income that is used on the application. This estimate is then reconciled to the actual income for the year of coverage on that person’s tax return for the year of the subsidy.
If the actual income on the tax return is lower than the estimated income on the application, a credit may be due. On the other hand, if the actual income on the tax return is higher than the estimated income on the application, you may have to pay back some of the subsidy you got. For 2025, there are caps on the amount of pay back for those incomes under 400% FPL. But beware, the caps have been eliminated for 2026 and if your income goes over 400% FPL you would owe the entire year’s subsidy back.
The United Way Collier and the Keys provides free tax reconciliation through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA). They will be at various locations throughout the Keys from 2/2/2026 through 4/15/2026. Refer to the attached flyer for specific information by location.