The "epicenter of Obamacare," where more people enrolled in health coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act than any other location, is a solidly Republican town located about 10 miles outside of Miami, according to a Politico report.
More than 52,000 people enrolled in coverage in the five ZIP codes that make up Hialeah, Fla., largely due to a strong outreach effort in Florida. The city is also home to the top enrollment ZIP code in the country.
"Historically, Hialeah has tended to be very Republican and very anti-government programs," Nicholas Duran, the Florida state director for Enroll America, told Politico. However, when Hialeah residents began learning about insurance under the PPACA and what it offers, such as coverage for pre-existing conditions, "it helped Obamacare bubble to the top," Mr. Duran told Politco.
The need for health coverage was great in Hialeah, as approximately 37 percent of the city's residents were uninsured in 2013, according to the report.
Hialeah may be home to the top PPACA enrollment ZIP code, but it is not the only city in Florida that benefitted from the strong outreach and enrollment campaign in the state, as about 1.4 million people in Florida now have health coverage.
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