Today on Southwest Florida in focus.

Health insurance is at the center of the government shutdown.

I've had such a hard time, you know, just getting by with paying for my my health care.

Now, if it increases, I won't be able to afford it.

Millions of Floridians will see higher premiums if tax credits for the Affordable Care Act are allowed to expire.

A Collier County supermarket closes its doors and leaves the community with limited options, especially people depending on federal support for food and Halloween brings the season of spirits.

We tracked down the infamous ghost stories that give downtown Fort Myers a taste of the macabre.

Hello, I'm Sandra Victorova.

Thank you for joining us.

It is sticker shock for some Floridians as open enrollment begins for health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare on November 1st.

Out-of-pocket costs for plans on the ACA marketplace are on the rise.

According to the Kaiser Family Institute, more than 2.2 million Floridians are at risk of losing their coverage as premiums become unaffordable.

That's because tax credits that offset the cost of those plans are set to expire at the end of the year.

Those insurance subsidies are at the center of the congressional stalemate in this government shutdown.

According to the Kaiser Institute, in 2025, the average ACA enrollee in Florida had an out of pocket cost of $888 If the tax credits expire on December 31st next year, those payments could more than double to an average of about $1,900.

Florida has 4.7 million people enrolled in the ACA, the highest in the country.

That's more than 1 in 5 Floridians.

Fort Myers resident Randall Blackburn says the possibility of higher out-of-pocket costs for health insurance is scary.

The 37 year old says tax credits have saved him $500 a month for coverage, which he depends on for several medical issues.

He works as a case manager at a call center and says he is already on a very tight budget.

I know that that's going to be a huge jump of how much I'm going to end up having to pay a month, and to be honest, I'm getting I'm worried about, you know, being able to pay for my basic needs, you know, being able to choose between food and health care.

Some consumers are now considering private health insurance plans outside of the ACA marketplace to try to save money.

Those plans generally have greater limits on what care is covered and have an underwriting process limiting some preexisting conditions.

Tyler McClusky, the CEO of Rocket Health, specializes in these policies.

definitely, without a doubt, been getting a massive increase of calls and a lot of speculations and again, a lot of unknown.

I really feel bad for the customer at the end of the day, the customer, they really don't have any idea what's going on, and they have to navigate a market that is not easy for them to go ahead and do on their own.

So our phones have been blowing up.

We've been getting a lot of inquiries, and we've already now, again, just as of this very week, the notices have been going out to them from their current insurance that the rates going up 30%, 40%, 50%, whatever that might be.

Now that's just too on their premium.

That doesn't say if their tax credits going to be extended or not.

Somebody Joining us now with more is independent reporter Carrie Dooley Young, who has followed the ACA for The Journalist Resource, a Harvard publication.

Welcome, Miss Young.

Great to be here.

So help us understand how significant are these increases?

And is everyone who has an ACA plan going to see higher premiums?

No.

The the people who will see the higher premiums are the people who've been, able to get subsidies.

Since changes were made in the Biden administration to the program.

So there's a basic level of subsidy for people who have lower incomes.

That was expanded up to really allow a lot more middle class people to get some help in affording the ACA plans.

So this is open enrollment season.

You say people should be shopping for a plan right now.

Why?

Open enrollment season is is a time when we should always be shopping.

If there's a if there's a silver lining to this current, sort of crisis feel about the ACA plans, it's that it's drawing attention to that.

Open enrollment has already started for Medicare's drug plans, where people should every year go in and take a look and make sure they're getting the best plan.

The same thing with the ACA plans, people, or should really look at their options every year.

These are these to 21st century insurance plans designed by the government.

It's not traditional Medicare.

They really depend on consumers taking a little bit of time each year to make sure they're getting the best deal.

They don't like, not like it's the best deal for consumers.

It would actually kind of help us contain health care costs as a nation.

I know it's a hassle.

I know it's not fun, but it's really worth sitting down.

Even if you're not affected by these ACA subsidies and making sure you're getting the best deal from these programs.

What kinds of questions should you be asking?

Absolutely.

And looking for when comparing, you should always look, and there are some really handy tools.

I think people, think this is a tougher task than it is.

If you're in a Medicare pharmacy plan, those part D plans put in your drugs, look at the things you need to have covered.

It doesn't take long.

ACA plan a little bit more difficult if you want to see if you're like any health insurance plan, the same way you decisions you'd make if you were getting employer insurance, you had options are the doctors you want to network what you know, how do you anticipate your healthcare costs to go?

Would you be better off with a higher deductible or a lower deductible?

You know, and then get lower monthly payments?

Or maybe you anticipate needing a lot of care and maybe that wouldn't work as well.

It's really worth sitting down and running through the numbers and getting help.

If you need help to do this.

So as you said, depending on what you earn, that's really where we're going to see how some people are impacted much more than others.

So help us to understand maybe what a typical family would would see.

I know you took a look at a specific plan.

Yes.

You know, Florida Blue, and I'm sure other insurers have done this as well, anticipated what would happen.

And it put a lot of good information on its website.

So I really encourage consumers to go there and look at other insurers.

They estimated that for Lee County and this is in the ACA, the marketplace, the Obamacare plans a family of four making 78,000.

The 2025 monthly costs would go from 368 to 855, which you'd feel that that's that's a monthly cost for an individual making about 22, 590.

So just under $23,000 a year, monthly costs would go from 36 to 174.

It's a bite that people will notice if they're losing that subsidy or ACA exchanges or, you know, some folks call it Obamacare marketplaces.

Are they having the impact intended?

Great question.

Depends on who you are and how you're framing the question.

There was an interesting debate at the Cato Institute recently with a speaker from Paragon Health where they really dove into what they saw, the flaws in these plans.

Other people look at the, the plans themselves and the the recent expansion under the Biden administration is really helping a lot of people afford insurance, especially middle class people who weren't getting the subsidies earlier.

So we're all waiting to see whether Congress decides to extend these tax credits.

Yes.

Explain to us what happens if they do decide to extend the tax credits.

Will people get relief?

You know, it's an open question.

We in as we were saying so often, we're kind of in uncharted territory here.

Insurance is normally, not something that makes the headlines.

This is work that's done over months, by insurance companies working with insurance regulators in each state, going through the plans, improving the plans, getting the plans all set up.

So if Congress makes this change, I would expect that insurers, maybe behind the scenes, have done some of the prep work, but it would be sort of a mad scramble from the point of regulators, insurers, even customers right now.

Remember that anybody who has a plan and ACA plan should have received a letter indicating what kind of increase they're getting.

So then it would involve going back and redoing those calculations.

So, it's it remains to be seen.

What will what Congress will do and then what how the insurers and consumers and state regulators can respond.

Carrie, Julie Young, we thank you for your time.

Thank you.

For health care coverage in 2026, open enrollment in the Affordable Care Act begins on November 1st.

For more information on plans in the marketplace, you can head to Health care.gov.

It's back to the hardwood at FGCU.

Coming up, we take a look at the changes to the men's and women's basketball teams that have the Eagles eyeing more championships.

Folks in a market who depend on the community's only supermarket, Winn-Dixie, are frustrated and concerned.

The store abruptly closed about a week ago as part of Aldi's acquisition of Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie.

This Winn-Dixie is part of 220 stores that will be remodeled and eventually become an Aldi store.

For more on the impact the closure will have on the Immokalee community, we are joined by WGCU Managing Editor Mike Braun.

Mike, welcome.

Thank you very much.

So help us understand, why is the closure of this store such a big deal?

Well, it basically makes a mockery into a food desert.

It's the only supermarket of that size in Immokalee.

There's no target, there's no Walmart.

There's no Publix in the confines of the market.

So you mentioned to us, obviously, that Aldi's will, you know, eventually take over.

Help us to understand, though, there is an impact to perhaps lower income folks in the community, right?

Well, of course, Winn-Dixie had things like a variety of diapers and formula, and they were able to use whic, which is the women's infant and children benefit that some people would get.

They were able to use Snap benefits, which all the apparently does not take.

They also don't take checks or health cards, but this will impact people who were Bet who were depending on Winn-Dixie.

Now they can't get will not get the same thing at Aldi.

So you spoke to some local residents.

What did they tell you?

They're a little concerned.

They don't know how some people who don't have transportation will get to places that do have the the supplies that they need, like the Publix.

There's 118 miles away and there's 130 miles away for people without cars.

That's a that's a heavy debt to take.

The county's going to have transportation as of this coming Friday.

They had decided to have a bus route that's going to go to close by Publix, twice a day on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

But that doesn't help everybody.

That is a free service.

Correct?

That's a free service.

Correct.

Help us to understand what this means long term for for folks in Immokalee.

Do we have any idea of what the new store will be like and and timetables?

There is no timetable yet.

There's no idea what the new Aldi will look like size wise, what they're going to offer.

And they have their own private brand of products.

That's why they don't accept, But as to what it's going to look like and when it will open, we have no idea.

And all these.

Not saying.

All right.

Mike Braun, thank you so much for your time.

Thanks for having me.

New players, new coaches but the same Eagles Energy college basketball returns to Elko Arena, and Florida Gulf Coast University looks to continue its dominance atop the Atlantic Sun Conference.

WGCU Bryant Monteilh took to the court to see how both squads are keeping their wings up.

Go catch up.

It's that time of year again.

It's not a holiday.

It's a season.

Oh.

Basketball season.

Hi.

Hi.

The women's and men's basketball team at Fgcu.

Have been working hard to get their wings up for a winning season.

And Raina Harmon is the new head coach for Fgcu women's basketball team.

She says the key to winning is simple consistency, efficiency and have some fun.

Coach Harmon was brought on about seven months ago from the University of Iowa.

She was hired after Chelsea Lyles resigned from the position to join former head coach Carl Smith.

School staff for WNBA.

A lot of dream.

Harmon recognizes the legacy that came before and what Coach Masco was able to accomplish at FGCU.

I feel like what Karl was able to do was just put the right people in the right position to be successful.

I mean, on the floor, right?

But I also think about what he was able to do from a community standpoint with this program.

And really getting buy in from the community to really support this program.

His name takes place just after you see, you men's team looks forward to a winning season.

They hope the sweat equity poured out in practice will equal wins at home and on the road.

Coach Pat chambers talks about what fans can look forward to this season.

Pace, tempo.

We're going to try to really push.

Throw some lobs.

Have a really fun style of play that I think the fans are going to love.

Last year, the men's team finished the season with a 1915 overall record and 13 and five in the Eastern Conference.

Junior standout Ramon Barno was back in action after a season ending injury last year.

I'm just excited to get out there.

You know, it's been a long time since last year.

You know, I went out kind of early, so just excited to, you know, be back out there with the guys and compete, you know, the highest extent.

And, you know, when Coach Harmon brought on a new staff of coaches and assistants to guide the Eagles women's team.

Seven new players have joined with five returning.

Jordan Campbell, a senior walk on, received a full scholarship from coach Harmon at the team's first meeting.

It was an exciting surprise.

I was just sitting in the film room listening to Coach Ryan talk, and it was a really good feeling.

Took me off guard, but I was so happy.

And even for a few days after that, I was just in shock.

I really couldn't believe it.

The Eagles women's team will go up against some powerhouse teams like the University of South Carolina, Indiana and Stanford.

Their first game is November 1st.

The men's team will host their first game against New College of Florida November 3rd, followed by an away game against the University of Illinois.

Wings up for both teams this basketball season and live for WGCU news.

I'm Bryant Monteilh And if you want to catch all of the action on the court this season to get tickets to both the men's and women's basketball teams, visit Fgcu athletics.com.

Well, this year would have marked the 100th birthday of Robert Rauschenberg.

He left an imprint on the world that allows him to stand toe to toe with some of his contemporaries in 20th century art.

WGCU's Tom Hall breaks down the legacy Rauschenberg left behind, both in the art world and in southwest Florida.

Determining an artist's importance is normally problematic.

Not for Jay Dellinger.

Especially when it comes to Bob Rauschenberg.

He was an artist artist in a way.

Maybe people have heard or know more about Salvador Dali or Andy Warhol in terms of name recognition.

But Rauschenberg is one of those artists that really changed everything.

I mean, his, his, his work was all about that, and he was constantly changing.

Rauschenberg pioneered using found objects and paintings and sculpture.

He converted discarded items into lasting works of art.

He pioneered silkscreen and transfer, solvent printmaking.

He changed the paradigm of the artist working alone in a studio by collaborating with scientists, composers like John Cage, and dancers like Merce Cunningham and entire countries during his Rauschenberg Overseas Cultural interchange.

I think it will become evident in this year, which is his centenary.

How important he is, how influential he is.

Almost every serious museum around the world owns original works of art by Robert Rauschenberg.

For those who keep score by auction price, his 1964 silkscreen Buffalo two sold at Christie's in 2019 for $88.8 million.

But that's an imperfect way to measure Rauschenberg's importance.

Leading art historians and art writers, you know, have called him a giant of American art, not a giant, and equated him to sort of a our Picasso.

I would always argue that Rauschenberg is of that importance.

He's the most important and influential artist of the second half of the 20th century.

He was important locally to my hope is that we can allow those within our community to take and embrace and understand how deeply connected he was here in the same, in the same way that we celebrate, you know, Thomas Edison or this idea that those folks wintered here.

Bob Rauschenberg, the most important artist of the second half of the 20th century, lived in our community for more than four decades.

This was his home.

Rauschenberg put Fort Myers on the world map, giving his name to the art gallery at Edison State College.

Now Florida Southwestern State, he went a step further, collaborating with local architect William Frizzell in the Smithsonian Institution to incorporate climate control and security features who felt so comfortable with it.

He volunteered to make a solo exhibition in that inaugural season, and he made regular exhibitions throughout.

He debuted some of his most famous artworks at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery, including the Quarter Mile or Two for a Long Piece.

He collaborated locally as well, and he would appear and he would bring his famous friends.

So he brought Sharon Stone.

He brought, you know, a number of other celebrity friends to help support that cause.

There's an autism center locally that he supported regularly.

He did lots of things behind the scenes, much less known, but writing checks, helping to support organizations that he believed in.

Thomas Edison once famously said, there's only one Fort Myers, and 90 million people will find this out.

Rauschenberg said something similar.

He sort of famously said, Fort Myers is as small as your mind is.

It can be just as large as the world is.

It's all about thinking broadly and making making work, engaging with with the world in ways that can resonate far beyond the local.

For WGCU news, this is Tom Hall.

Well, coming up the spooky side of Southwest Florida, we follow the trail of a ghoulish tale or two in downtown Fort Myers.

A Ghost hunters delight.

now this is the scariest Part of the allure of Halloween is the belief in the supernatural and the fear of superstitions.

But if what you're walking under a ladder or the fear of breaking a mirror might actually be a positive thing.

Doctor Susan Albers of the Cleveland Clinic says belief in superstitions gives us a sense of control, and leaning into certain quirks like knocking on wood can help boost confidence.

But there is also a danger of leaning too hard into the unknown.

If you start to feel anxious or have difficulty when these superstitions don't play out or develop a phobia, these are signs that superstitions may be bothering you.

If they bother you for more than two weeks, they impact your life, your sleep, your eating.

This may be a time to talk with a professional or get some additional support.

So while superstitions can be fun.

Doctor Albers makes it clear these are not things that people should base their lives on.

Well, ghost stories and urban legends are part of the fun of the Halloween season.

And Fort Myers historic downtown is filled with mysterious tales.

WGCU Samuel Brucker toiled through the city of palms to learn what spooky secrets lie beneath the cobblestone streets.

It's a peaceful night in downtown Fort Myers.

So how could this building be so ghastly?

What about this staircase?

Why so deadly?

And this building.

Why is it so just plain scary?

There's too many weird things that are completely unexplained.

And now there's something to this.

I just don't know what that is.

We join a haunted tour of downtown Fort Myers to find out.

Walk down until you see the sign that says do not drink the moonshine.

It's poison in Bootleggers Alley behind the historic Greystone Hotel.

I condemn staircase leads to a mystery.

All of these buildings are so much still connected to the way they originally were.

They saw a lot of interesting activity.

Make your way over to this wall.

Balzano says part of the hotel served as a brothel during World War Two.

A secret stop for airmen training at nearby bases.

But then women began to vanish.

First one, then two.

Until, he says, whispers spread that as many as 17 disappeared without a trace.

Nobody knows what happened to the women or the military men, but people have gotten photographs on the tours of this kind of white energy force that hovers at the top, watching us, talking about it.

One tour guest snapped a photo of a woman guide on the stairs.

The picture shows a man in military uniform right behind her, his arm outstretched, as if trying to pull her into a room upstairs.

Balzano says after that night, the guide never led another tour without a crucifix clenched in her hand.

The buildings themselves are still standing, and now those buildings are kind of what have trapped or, you know, kept to the the spirits here in Fort Myers.

And now this is the scariest building on the tour for me.

The Andrew Gwin Institute was built in 1911 and was Lee county's first high school.

Balzano says its eerie history is tied to one woman's legacy.

The school's first principal, Miss Hamilton.

He says what she may have done in the building's basement is most unsettling.

I've got pictures, that of a ghost that looks exactly like her picture when she was alive.

I mean, it's like, freaky how much it looks like her.

Balzano says Principal Hamilton used corporal punishment, taking misbehaving students into the basement to beat them.

Now he feels like Miss Hamilton is glaring at him from a window.

I don't know what you think about the paranormal, but you do renovations.

You do that kind of stuff.

Weird things are going to happen.

That's what Balzano and Taylor say may be happening in this building now housing a bar.

Following the installation of new underground utilities in 2010.

And then it really started to create some really odd paranormal activity.

A woman rented space for a wig and consignment shop.

First she found a mannequin head displaying a wig was turned facing the wall.

Balzano says the woman dismissed it until something returned a few days later.

She comes in.

Every single head is turned around, facing the wall.

Most of the stories that we have here, there's some kind of history and we connected to what's going on.

We have no explanation for what goes on in this building.

So when a creaking noise unsettles you, don't be so quick to dismiss it.

I don't need to prove that ghosts exist.

I don't need evidence.

I'm out there for experience because I've had enough really transformative experiences that involve the paranormal that to me, it's not even a it's a no brainer.

It's like 100% exist.

Reporting for WGCU with photographer Amanda Insncore Whittamore I'm Samuel Brucker has filed.

We thank you so much for joining us.

Make sure to download that WGCU app or visit WGCU.org where you can find all of our stories, plus the extended interviews, and make sure you remember to set your clocks back as Daylight Savings Time comes to an end on Sunday.

We hope you catch up on some sleep and that you join us again next week right here on Southwest Florida.

InFocus.