A West Palm Beach woman says she knew she would have to find a health plan offered by the Affordable Care Act since her current insurance was leaving the program at the end of the year.
What she didn't realize was that she was automatically signed up in a new plan.
WATCH REPORT BELOW: Florida ACA customers auto-enrolled in new 2027 plans without knowing
"All of a sudden I started getting phone calls, text messages, and emails from another health insurance company saying congrats, you're enrolled, and then getting a bill from them," Melissa Smith said.
"It took forever to figure out if my doctor was even in their network," she added. "My doctor's not in their network, so I don't want to be on their plan."
What happened to Smith does appear to be common.
"If you were enrolled in a plan, there are automatic re-enrollments," said Scott Darius of Florida Voices for Health. "If your plan has changed or disappeared, the marketplace will often put you in a plan that they deem to be similar."
It's likely enrolling in another plan on your own can clear out any automatic enrollment.
Open enrollment in the ACA in Florida begins on Nov. 1.
Darius says most plans have already posted their rates for 2027 and overall rates are up about 10%.
He says start by finding someone you trust to help you navigate the enrollment process, which can be done at healthcare.gov
"First, make a list for yourself in terms of what your priorities are," Darius said. "If you have doctors that you enjoy seeing, if you have medications that you know you need covered, create that list of priorities for yourself and then work with a trusted source to go through the options and to see what you can get covered."
The enrollment period ends on Jan. 15.
