Home Affordable Care Act Topics

Affordable Care Act

About the ACA

Promotional image for KFF video How Affordable is the Affordable Care Act

Did the Affordable Care Act Make Health Care More Affordable?

The expiration of the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits at the start of 2026, combined with rising insurer premiums, put a spotlight on health care affordability that extends beyond Marketplace enrollees. KFF’s Cynthia Cox examines the ACA’s record and the broader underlying question it raises: what’s a fair price for Americans people to pay for health care?

The ACA MarketplaceS

In Preliminary Rate Filings, ACA Marketplace Insurers Largely Propose Double-Digit Premium Increase For 2027, Following a Steep Climb This Year 

ACA Marketplace insurers are proposing a median premium increase of 14% for 2027— indicating a likely second consecutive year of double-digit increases, according to a new analysis of preliminary rate filings in 16 states and DC. If these increases hold, typical premiums for insurers participating in the ACA Marketplaces would jump by more than one-third between 2025 and 2027.

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

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.

Latest News

More KFF Health News

Stay informed.

Get KFF's latest on the Affordable Care Act

Stay informed.

Get KFF's
latest on the Affordable
Care Act

https://js.hsforms.net/forms/embed/292449.js

View the Latest: Affordable Care Act

Filter

List Grid

1,181 - 1,190 of 2,780 Results

  • Poll: Large Majority of the Public, Including Half of Republicans and Trump Supporters, Say the Administration Should Try to Make the Affordable Care Act Work

    News Release

    Most Republicans Are “Disappointed” But Not “Angry” That Repeal-and-Replace Legislation Did Not Pass Senate After the Senate’s failure to pass legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds that eight in 10 Americans (78%) say President Trump and his administration should do what they can to make the current health care law work. This includes large majorities of Democrats (95%) and independents (80%), as well as about…

  • Early Analysis of 21 Major Cities Tracks ACA Marketplace Premium Changes, Insurer Participation, Uncertainty

    News Release

    As insurers grapple with continuing uncertainty surrounding 2018 Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces, a new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of initial filings in 21 major cities finds that changes in 2018 benchmark silver plan premiums are likely to range widely, from a decrease of 5 percent in Providence, R.I., to an increase of 49 percent in Wilmington, Del., without factoring in tax credits. However, the analysis finds that preliminary rates will likely change, and some…

  • The ACA Stability “Crisis” In Perspective

    From Drew Altman

    In this column for Axios, Drew Altman presents new data analysis showing how many people are impacted by premium increases in the non-group market, and discusses the implications. 

  • JAMA Forum: Has Obamacare Become Trumpcare?

    Perspective

    With the effort to repeal or replace the Affordable Care Act seemingly on hold or even dead, Larry Levitt discusses what the Trump administration could do to make the ACA successful - including providing clarity around individual mandate enforcement and cost-sharing reduction payments; maintaining outreach and consumer assistance; and encouraging insurers to participate in the individual insurance marketplaces. The post is now available at The JAMA Forum.

  • Proposed Changes to Medicaid Expansion in Kentucky

    Fact Sheet

    On June 22, 2016, Governor Bevin released his proposed Section 1115 demonstration waiver application called Kentucky HEALTH (Helping to Engage and Achieve Long Term Health) as an alternative to the current Medicaid expansion which is being implemented through a state plan amendment according to the terms in the ACA. On July 3, 2017, Kentucky submitted an amendment, proposing several changes, to its pending waiver application to the new Administration. This fact sheet summarizes the proposed…

  • What’s the Near-Term Outlook for the Affordable Care Act?

    News Release

    With congressional Republicans’ efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act on hold, a new issue brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation answers questions about the current state of the 2010 health law, zeroing in on the individual insurance marketplaces that the law established. Questions addressed by the brief include: Is Obamacare failing? How would administrative actions affect market stability? What happens if the market fails? What might be done to strengthen the Marketplaces?

  • The Requirement to Buy Coverage Under the Affordable Care Act

    Other Post

    Note:  Congress eliminated the federal tax penalty for not having health insurance, effective January 1, 2019. Along with changes to the health insurance system that guarantee access to coverage to everyone regardless of pre-existing health conditions, the Affordable Care Act includes a requirement that many people be insured or pay a penalty. This simple flowchart illustrates how that requirement (sometimes known as an "individual mandate") works.     >>Download the PDF