Research Symposium

BIO

Saisloka Naidu is first-year Presidential Scholar at Florida State University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. She developed an early interest in healthcare and community health through leadership and service experiences in high school. Her research interests focus on public health communication and the ways messaging and education shape individual health decisions and community outcomes. Looking ahead, Saisloka hopes to build a career that bridges healthcare systems and public health, with a focus on improving population health and expanding access to care.

Natural Disaster Losses and ACA Marketplace Enrollment at the County Level

Abstract

Natural disasters disrupt employment and income, increasing the risk of losing employer-sponsored health insurance. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace provides an alternative source of coverage during economic instability. This study examined whether disaster-related financial losses were associated with increased Marketplace enrollment in the following year. County-level disaster loss data from FEMA were merged with ACA enrollment data from CMS. Disaster losses were initially associated with increased enrollment; however, after controlling for unemployment, disaster losses were no longer significant, while unemployment remained strongly predictive. These findings suggest employment disruption—not disaster damage alone—is the primary driver of increased Marketplace enrollment following disasters.

Keywords: natural disasters, insurance, ACA Marketplace,