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What We Know So Far About 2026 ACA Marketplace Enrollment, Premiums, and Deductibles

May 19, 2026

Issue Brief

This analysis examines early indicators of how the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits has affected effectuated enrollment levels (i.e., enrollment among people who have paid their premiums), plan selections, and out-of-pocket costs in 2026, drawing on plan selection and effectuated enrollment data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and state-based Marketplace (SBM) Open Enrollment reports, as well as KFF survey data and individual market enrollment estimates from Wakely Consulting Group.

The Average Marketplace Deductible Grew by About $1,000 Per Person in 2026, With More Enrollees Shifting to Higher-Deductible Plans as Enhanced Tax Credits Expired

May 19, 2026

News Release

The average Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace deductible experienced the steepest increase in history—growing by 37% or over $1,000, from $2,759 in 2025 to $3,786 in 2026 as enhanced premium tax credits expired, according to a new KFF analysis. After the enhanced tax credits ended, many Marketplace shoppers shifted toward lower-premium, higher-deductible plans.

AI: As Much Peril As Promise?

May 19, 2026

Podcast

What does AI mean for patients in bed and doctors at the bedside? Host Chip Kahn and guest Dr. Robert Wachter, Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, discuss whether AI will produce a different kind of doctor in the future — a “clinician curator rather than a clinician-diagnostician.” The answer could define the future of medicine and the doctor-patient relationship.

As TrumpRx Expands to Include Generic Drugs, KFF Polling Shows Nearly 6 in 10 Adults Are Worried About Prescription Drug Costs

May 18, 2026

Quick Insights

As of early March, a majority of the public (59%) is worried about affording prescription drugs for themselves and their families, the largest share since KFF first polled this question in 2018.

Overview of President Trump’s Executive Actions Impacting LGBTQ+ Health

May 18, 2026

Fact Sheet

This tracker examines Executive Actions taken by the Trump administration that have the potential to impact LGBTQ+ people’s health. It lists the action taken by date, provisions relevant to LGBTQ+ health, and describes potential impact, including litigation challenging these actions.

Hospital Prices Have Risen Much Faster for Private Insurance Than Medicare Since 2019

May 18, 2026

Issue Brief

This brief compares the prices paid by private insurers for hospital care to increases in Medicare payment using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Producer Price Index (PPI), finding that hospital prices have risen much faster for private insurance than Medicare since 2019.

A Look at the High Unemployment Hardship Exception to Medicaid Work Requirements Based on Unemployment Data from February 2025 to January 2026

May 18, 2026

Policy Watch

In the 39 states that are adopting or may adopt the high unemployment hardship exception, about 1.4 million or 7.5% of Medicaid expansion enrollees live in one of the 133 counties that currently meet the high-unemployment criteria.

Current and Expired PEPFAR Reporting Requirements

May 15, 2026

Issue Brief

An overview of PEPFAR reporting requirements under current and past law.

CMS’ New Approach to Federal Medicaid Spending in Cases of Potential Fraud

May 15, 2026

Issue Brief

CMS is taking a new approach to fraud that will rely more heavily on options to pause or withhold significant amounts of federal funding in cases of potential fraud, which could have broad implications for states and enrollees. This issue brief explains the new approach.

Mollyann Brodie Receives AAPOR Award for Exceptionally Distinguished Achievement

May 15, 2026

News Release

The American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) recognized KFF’s Mollyann Brodie, Ph.D., with the AAPOR Award for Distinguished Achievement for her outstanding leadership and contributions to the field of public opinion research over three decades. Also, KFF’s Surveys of Immigrants received the 2026 AAPOR Inclusive Voices Award, which recognizes work examining complex challenges related to underrepresented populations.

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