Florida Decides Healthcare relaunched Medicaid expansion ballot signature collection efforts statewide for the 2028 ballot.
The proposed amendment would expand Medicaid eligibility to adults aged 18 to 64 whose incomes fall at or below 138% of the federal poverty level, a group that includes up to 3.7 million Floridians who earn too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid but too little to afford private insurance.
The campaign to place Medicaid expansion on the ballot and secure healthcare access for millions of Floridians restarted after months of disruption caused by HB 1205, a sweeping law that imposed “unprecedented and punitive barriers on citizen-led ballot initiatives” according to Florida Decides Healthcare (FDH). The campaign said the legislation dramatically increased petition costs, added new bureaucratic hurdles, and slowed the verification process, effectively attempting to shut Floridians out of their constitutional right to direct democracy.
The campaign launched a new digital organizing and petition-collection effort encouraging Florida voters to request a petition that will be mailed to them with a prepaid return envelope, making it as easy as possible to participate. Despite facing numerous unconstitutional hurdles imposed by HB 1205, FDH said it has built a coalition of more than 100 grassroots organizations that will help collaborate on this effort by sharing the link to request a petition.
“This campaign has always been about giving Florida voters a choice,” said Mitch Emerson, Executive Director of Florida Decides Healthcare. “We’re getting back to work in communities across the state to make sure their voices are heard.”
The relaunch comes as Democrats say the healthcare crisis across the nation and particularly in Florida continues to deepen. Many in the Democratic coalition say that since cuts to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, thousands of Floridians have been pushed off ACA marketplace coverage, and many who were able to keep a plan are seeing premiums double or even triple, putting coverage out of reach for working families, seniors, veterans, and caregivers.
The coalition also noted that Florida already has close to a million people stuck in the Medicaid coverage gap, earning too little to afford private insurance and barely enough poverty levels, unable to qualify for Medicaid. Combined with the loss of affordable ACA coverage, Florida is now facing a reality where one in five residents could be uninsured in the next year, according to FDH.
At the same time FDH resumes signature gathering, the campaign’s legal challenge to HB 1205 is pending a result. The federal trial in Florida Decides Healthcare v. Cord Byrd seeks to overturn HB 1205 and restore Floridians’ access to their constitutional right to pursue citizen-led ballot initiatives without politically motivated barriers. With trial now concluded, the court will issue a ruling in the coming months.
Polling continues to show that the public is firmly on the side of Medicaid expansion. A June 2025 GSG poll found that 67% of Floridians support a ballot question to expand Medicaid, including 87% of Democrats, 67% of independents, and a majority of Republicans. Similar Medicaid expansion measures have passed decisively in red states once voters were given the chance to decide for themselves.
The coalition also said that every year Florida refuses to expand Medicaid, the state turns away billions of dollars in federal funding that could be supporting local hospitals, creating healthcare jobs, and keeping families healthy. Instead, those dollars are sent to other states while Floridians face rising costs, hospital closures, and worsening access to care, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
The campaign said it will continue to elevate the stories of Floridians caught in the coverage gap and make clear what is at stake if access to affordable healthcare continues to be dismantled.
If interested, Floridians to visit floridadecideshealthcare.org to request a petition.
