‘This was supposed to be affordable’: Frustration grows amid ACA enrollment drop

Facing rising costs of premiums, about 202,000 fewer Floridians purchased insurance from the Affordable Care Act marketplace during the 2026 enrollment period. It was one of the starkest declines, just behind Georgia, which had a decline of 206,000, according to new data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Florida still has more enrollees in the federal marketplace than any other state. More from Health News Florida and the Tampa Bay Times.

Cold snaps can negatively impact mental health, FGCU expert says

We Floridians aren't used to chilly weather, which makes cold snaps challenging for our bodies and minds to adjust to. Low temperatures can keep us indoors and away from our routines, like socializing and exercising. Florida Gulf Coast University social work professor Ariella VanHara says this can negatively impact mental health for those who thrive on structure. [Source: WGCU]

Florida couple sues fertility clinic because baby isn’t genetically theirs

A Central Florida couple is demanding answers from a Longwood fertility clinic after discovering the baby the woman gave birth to in mid-December is not their biological daughter. Steven Mills and Tiffany Score also fear the possibility that at least one of their embryos — created in a laboratory from the couple’s sperm and eggs and then cryogenically frozen in 2020 — may have been erroneously implanted in another woman, who is now raising their biological child. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

AIDS Healthcare Foundation challenges Florida's HIV treatment cuts in court

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has filed a legal challenge against the Florida Department of Health over changes it says could cut thousands of people off life-saving HIV treatment. “Being adherent to this medication is the best way to prevent new infections,” said General Counsel for AIDS Healthcare Foundation Tom Myers. [Source: WTXL]

Nine measles cases in Florida feed debate over vaccinations

Nine cases of measles, a disease once considered nearly eradicated in the United States, have been reported in Florida since the start of the year. Florida is one of 17 states to report measles cases, which now total 588 nationwide, including 467 in South Carolina, according to data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Source: WUSF]

Florida Trend Mention

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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Immokalee teen aims to bring healthcare to rural Florida [WINK News]
Yaneli Morales, an 18-year-old senior at Immokalee High School, has her heart set on becoming a cardiologist. "As a senior right now, at Immokalee High School, a cardiologist is still my top choice," said Morales. Morales, who was born and raised in Immokalee, has been passionate about pursuing a career in medicine since middle school. Her dream extends beyond personal ambition.

› Jackson Health CEO to step down. Who will be the new leader? [Miami Herald]
Jackson Health System’s CEO Carlos Migoya is stepping down after more than a decade of leading one of the largest public health systems in the nation. Migoya made the announcement Thursday during the monthly meeting of the Public Health Trust, the governing body that oversees the Miami-Dade public hospital system.

› How Tampa General turns innovation into patient care [Tampa Bay Business & Wealth]
Innovation inside a health system is rarely about technology first. It is about philosophy. At Tampa General Hospital, innovation is treated as a discipline of decision-making, one rooted in speed, restraint and accountability. New tools are evaluated through a philosophy that prioritizes speed to patient care while protecting quality and trust. “We don’t bring in technology for technology’s sake,” said Jennifer Crabtree, senior vice president at Tampa General Hospital and president of the Tampa Medical & Research District.

› Baptist Health’s big plans for Broward and Palm Beach counties [South Florida Sun Sentinell]
Baptist Health has begun to transform the healthcare landscape of western Broward County with the official groundbreaking of its Sunrise hospital. The $500 million hospital marks a significant expansion into Broward County for the not-for-profit organization, which has spent over a decade building its outpatient presence. The new seven-story Sunrise hospital bordering the Sawgrass Expressway also represents just one component of Baptist Health’s aggressive growth strategy into Broward and Palm Beach counties.

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