TL;DR
Catastrophic Marketplace plans have the lowest premiums and the highest deductible, but after age 30 you need a hardship exemption to buy one. For 2026, CMS said anyone ineligible for a premium tax credit qualified automatically. In mid-July 2026 a federal court in City of Columbus v. Kennedy stayed that expansion, so adults 30 and older again need an exemption certificate first. For a healthy Floridian above the credit line, the practical alternatives are a bronze HSA plan, a medically underwritten plan, or a short-term bridge.
If you read last year that catastrophic plans were opening up to everyone who lost their subsidy, you read it correctly. It just did not last. This is the short version of what changed, what a Floridian over 30 can do about it this open enrollment, and what to watch for next.
What a catastrophic plan is
Quick answer: A catastrophic plan is an ACA Marketplace plan with the lowest premium and a deductible equal to the annual out-of-pocket maximum. It covers preventive care and three primary care visits before the deductible, then everything is on you until the maximum. Premium tax credits cannot be applied to it. Under 30, anyone can buy one. At 30 and older, you need a hardship or affordability exemption.
The plan is built for exactly the person this site is written for: healthy, rarely at the doctor, and interested in protection against a large bill rather than first-dollar coverage. The catch has always been the age rule.
The 2026 expansion, briefly
In September 2025, anticipating the end of the enhanced credits, CMS announced that for 2026 anyone who was not eligible for a premium tax credit or cost-sharing reduction would automatically qualify for a hardship exemption and could enroll in a catastrophic plan without proving financial hardship. The expansion was later written into regulation to take effect nationwide on July 20, 2026. For a healthy Florida household just over the 400% line, that was a genuinely new lane.
What the court stayed in July 2026
Quick answer: In mid-July 2026, the federal court hearing City of Columbus v. Kennedy stayed the provision that granted catastrophic eligibility based on subsidy ineligibility. As a result, people 30 and older can once again only buy a catastrophic plan after obtaining a hardship or affordability exemption certificate.
The case is the same litigation that struck down parts of the 2025 Marketplace rule, including the attempt to end open enrollment on December 15. The government has appealed on other provisions, so the status could change again, but as of this writing the automatic exemption for subsidy-ineligible adults is not in effect for 2027 enrollment.
What that means if you are over 30 in Florida
Practically, three things:
- You cannot just pick a catastrophic plan on HealthCare.gov because your income is too high for a credit. The application will not offer it without an exemption certificate number.
- The traditional hardship exemptions still exist. Homelessness, eviction or foreclosure, a utility shut-off, domestic violence, a death in the family, a disaster, medical debt, and a few others can qualify, and so can living in an area where no affordable plan is available. Most healthy self-employed households above the line will not fit these categories.
- The lanes that never needed a certificate are still open. That is the good news, and it is where most of our over-30 clients end up.
How the exemption process works
Exemptions for catastrophic coverage are applied for through HealthCare.gov's exemption application, not through the regular plan application. If approved, you receive an exemption certificate number, which you enter when you enroll. Processing takes time, so a Floridian who genuinely qualifies should apply early in open enrollment rather than the week of December 15. If you think a hardship category applies to you, we will point you to the right form, but we do not file exemption applications on anyone's behalf.
The alternatives that do not need a certificate
- A bronze HSA-eligible Marketplace plan. The closest legal cousin to a catastrophic plan for adults over 30. Higher premium than catastrophic, still guaranteed issue, and the HSA contributions are tax deductible.
- A medically underwritten private plan. Priced on your health rather than guaranteed issue, available any month, and built around exactly the sickness and accident protection a catastrophic buyer wants. Not ACA-compliant, can decline or exclude conditions, so it fits the healthy and not the rest.
- A short-term plan as a bridge. Up to 36 months total in Florida through renewals, useful for a gap, not a home. See our Florida short-term guide.
We will keep this article updated as the litigation moves. If you want the current answer for your county and household, one licensed Florida broker will run every lane you qualify for through our Florida self-employed page.
Key Takeaway
The catastrophic-plan shortcut for subsidy-ineligible adults over 30 was real for a few months and is currently blocked. The lanes that never needed a certificate, bronze HSA plans, underwritten plans, and short-term bridges, are still open, and they are where a healthy Floridian over 30 should look this fall.
Questions Florida readers ask about this
Can I buy a catastrophic plan in Florida if I am over 30?
Only with a hardship or affordability exemption certificate. The 2026 rule that granted an automatic exemption to anyone ineligible for a premium tax credit was stayed by a federal court in July 2026, so the traditional exemption categories apply again.
What did the July 2026 court ruling do?
In City of Columbus v. Kennedy, the court stayed the provision that let subsidy-ineligible adults enroll in catastrophic coverage without a separate hardship finding. People 30 and older again need an exemption certificate before enrolling.
Can I use a premium tax credit on a catastrophic plan?
No. Premium tax credits cannot be applied to catastrophic plans, which is one reason they were being opened to people who could not get a credit anyway.
What is the closest alternative for a healthy Floridian over 30?
A bronze HSA-eligible Marketplace plan if you want guaranteed issue, or a medically underwritten private plan if you can pass underwriting and want a lower premium. A short-term plan can bridge a gap of a few months.
Will the catastrophic expansion come back?
Possibly. The litigation is ongoing and the government has appealed other parts of the same case. We will update this page when the status changes, and we confirm the current rule on every call.
- healthinsurance.org glossary: catastrophic plans, the 2026 expansion and the July 2026 stay
- CMS fact sheet (Sept 2025): expanding access to catastrophic plans for 2026
- CMS: guidance after City of Columbus v. Kennedy
- healthinsurance.org: ACA open enrollment deadlines (2027 dates confirmed by CMS July 27, 2026)
- healthinsurance.org: Short-term health insurance in Florida (36-month total duration)
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