Updated May 2026 · Florida Plan Finder · Licensed Florida Health Insurance Producer

Aetna / CVS Health vs. Florida Blue

If you are searching for an Aetna versus Florida Blue comparison for 2026, there is an important fact to know first: Aetna / CVS Health exited the individual ACA marketplace nationwide — including Florida — at the end of 2025, affecting roughly one million members across 17 states. The company cited continued underperformance and recorded a $448 million premium deficiency reserve on its exchange business. So for the 2026 plan year, you cannot buy an Aetna individual marketplace plan in Florida.

Aetna is still very much active in Florida for employer/group health insurance and Medicare Advantage, so the realistic 2026 comparison is usually an Aetna employer plan versus a Florida Blue individual marketplace plan — or, if your Aetna ACA plan ended, how Florida Blue stacks up as a replacement. Florida Blue is the only major 2026 marketplace carrier offering true PPO plans, and it sells in 60+ of Florida's 67 counties. This guide covers both.

Why Aetna Is Not a 2026 Florida Marketplace Option

Aetna / CVS Health exited the individual ACA exchanges: At the end of 2025 CVS Health withdrew Aetna from the individual ACA marketplace in all 17 states where it operated, including Florida, ending coverage for about one million members. CVS leadership cited continued underperformance of the exchange book and booked a $448 million premium deficiency reserve. Aetna had also briefly left the exchanges in 2017–2018 before returning in 2021.

Aetna still sells employer and Medicare coverage in Florida: The exit applies only to individual/family ACA plans. Aetna remains a major Florida carrier for employer/group health insurance and Medicare Advantage, which is why many Floridians still hold an Aetna card — just through work or Medicare, not the marketplace.

Florida Blue (Blue Cross Blue Shield) on Florida's 2026 Marketplace

Broadest provider network: As a Blue Cross Blue Shield company, Florida Blue contracts with the majority of hospitals and physicians in the state — AdventHealth, Baptist Health, HCA Florida, Orlando Health, Memorial Healthcare, Tampa General, and BayCare all participate in Florida Blue networks. No 2026 marketplace carrier comes close to its provider breadth.

PPO availability: Florida Blue is the only major Florida ACA carrier offering true PPO plans for 2026. PPOs add out-of-network coverage, no specialist referrals, and access to the national BlueCard network — a real advantage for snowbirds and frequent travelers.

Statewide reach and retail centers: Florida Blue operates in 60+ of Florida's 67 counties and runs Florida Blue Centers across the state where members get face-to-face help with enrollment and claims. In many rural counties it is the only carrier on the exchange.

Aetna Employer Coverage vs. a Florida Blue Marketplace Plan

For most people the real 2026 decision is whether to keep an Aetna plan offered through an employer or buy a Florida Blue plan on the marketplace. The pivot point is the subsidy: if your employer's Aetna coverage is deemed affordable under ACA rules, you generally cannot get a marketplace subsidy, which usually makes the employer plan cheaper. If you lack affordable employer coverage, a subsidized Florida Blue marketplace plan may win on cost.

Florida Blue's network is among the broadest of any carrier in any state. Nearly every major Florida health system participates, so enrollees rarely face access problems — the trade-off is that its 2026 approved rate increase of 29.6% (29% for the Health Options HMO line) keeps premiums above the lowest-cost value carriers.

2026 Premiums: Florida Blue in Your County

Aetna no longer publishes individual marketplace premiums in Florida, so the figures below show approximate 2026 unsubsidized Silver premiums for Florida Blue. Most enrollees pay far less after subsidies.

Approximate 2026 unsubsidized premiums for a 35-year-old non-smoker, before APTC subsidies. As a reference point, Florida regulators reported a 28-year-old in Duval County on a Silver plan going from about $149 to roughly $281 per month for 2026 after subsidy changes. Your actual cost depends on the benchmark Silver plan in your rating area.

Who Should Consider Florida Blue

• Want PPO flexibility and out-of-network coverage
• Live in a rural or smaller county where few carriers compete
• Have established relationships with specific hospitals or specialists
• Are snowbirds or travelers who need national BlueCard access
• Prefer in-person help at a Florida Blue retail center

Who Should Keep Aetna Employer Coverage

• Have an Aetna plan through work that is affordable under ACA rules
• Would lose an employer contribution by dropping the group plan
• Have doctors who are in the Aetna employer network but not in marketplace networks
• Do not qualify for a marketplace subsidy because employer coverage is offered
• Are on Aetna Medicare Advantage, which is unaffected by the ACA exit

Frequently Asked Questions