THE VILLAGES, Fla. – Insurance premiums are exploding across Florida — and for one retired math teacher in The Villages, the numbers are staggering.
After nearly 30 years in the classroom, Michael Fell medically retired and moved to The Villages with his wife, Dawn. Instead of enjoying retirement, he’s trying to solve what may be the most baffling equation of his life.
“The math isn’t math-ing for us,” Fell said.
Last year, Fell paid $723 a month for coverage through Florida Blue. In January, after enhanced federal health care subsidies expired, the bill jumped to more than $2,600 a month. “Which caused our premium to go up by about 259%. I’ll throw some math out there for the audience as a former math teacher,” Fell said.
For a couple living on a fixed income, that’s not just sticker shock — it’s a budget breaker.
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Fell, a registered Republican, says he spent months trying to get answers from his congressman, Daniel Webster. When he finally secured a meeting, it wasn’t with Webster himself, but with a staffer. Then came the follow-up email — thanking him for contacting the office about H.R. 4593, the “Saving Homeowners from Overregulation with Exceptional Rinsing” Act — a bill dealing with showerhead regulations.
“Now, I like showers as much as the next guy, and I’m sure that Dawn likes that I take showers. And, you know, that’s great,” Fell said. “But I don’t care about that. We care about this health care situation that we’re in.”
Webster’s website says he met with more than 1,600 constituents last year and responded to more than 138,000 inquiries. Fell says that’s not his experience. “Well, he didn’t meet with us,” he said.
Here’s the political backdrop: On Jan. 8, the House voted on legislation that would have extended the enhanced health care subsidies — the same subsidies that would keep Fell’s premiums thousands of dollars lower per month. Webster voted against extending them.
We reached out to Webster’s office to ask why. When asked whether the congressman would speak by phone, a staffer replied, “He prefers email.”
The office also issued a written statement saying, in part, that “Congressman Webster received and understands their concerns about rising health care costs and has taken action to address the issue,” pointing to his support of the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act.
Both bills remain in the Senate.
Meanwhile, according to the Congressional Budget Office, lawmakers were warned in December 2024 that refusing to extend enhanced subsidies could cause 2.2 million Americans to lose their health insurance this year.
For Michael and Dawn Fell, the debate in Washington isn’t abstract policy. It’s $2,600 a month — and climbing — with no direct answers from the man elected to represent them.