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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.

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  • Los YouToons se preparan para Obamacare

    Video

    Antes del inicio del período de inscripción abierta, el 1 de octubre, la Kaiser Family Foundation presenta un video en español para que el público comprenda mejor los cambios que vienen próximamente bajo la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio (Affordable Care Act o ACA, en inglés). “Los You Toons Se Preparan para Obamacare” explica las nuevas opciones que tendrán los estadounidenses para obtener seguro médico en el año 2014. /// Before the…

  • Obamacare and You: If You Are Uninsured…

    Fact Sheet

    The Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare, creates several new ways to get health coverage. This fact sheet explains how If you are uninsured and not offered health coverage through your job, you may be able to obtain coverage through Medicaid or through a new health insurance marketplace (or exchange) in your state. It is from our Obamacare & You series.

  • The Cost of Not Expanding Medicaid

    Report

    As states wrap up legislative sessions and make decisions about whether to implement the Medicaid expansion included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), this new analysis highlights the implications of these decisions for coverage, state budgets and providers. The decisions by as many as 27 states not to adopt the Medicaid expansion will leave a many more uninsured; these states would also forgo billions in federal funds.

  • Health Care Costs: A Primer

    Issue Brief

    This primer on health care spending in the United States reviews the growth in health care spending since 1970 and the impact of health care costs on families and employers.

  • How Will the Uninsured in Oklahoma Fare Under the Affordable Care Act?

    Fact Sheet

    This state report explains how the ACA expands coverage in Oklahoma, including a breakdown of how many uninsured people are eligible for Medicaid, how many are eligible for financial assistance to help them buy private insurance in the new Marketplace and how many will not receive any financial assistance at all. The report also details, in specific dollar figures, the income levels at which people in Oklahoma are eligible for Medicaid or financial assistance in…

  • Web Briefing: Understanding the Health Coverage and Affordability Provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act

    Event Date:
    Event

    The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act signed into law earlier this month includes a number of provisions aimed at making health coverage more accessible and affordable amid the public health and economic crises created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Join KFF at a web briefing to explain these changes and their expected impact on consumers, insurance marketplaces, and states.

  • New Analysis Summarizes Recent Research on the Effects of ACA Medicaid Expansion, Providing Context for Renewed Expansion Debates in States

    News Release

    New federal financial incentives for Medicaid expansion and the increased reliance on Medicaid as a coverage safety net during the pandemic have renewed debate in the 12 states that have not adopted the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. A new KFF literature review provides context for these expansion debates by summarizing evidence from nearly 200 studies about the effects of Medicaid expansion that were published between February 2020 and March 2021. These studies…

  • Two New Analyses: House COVID-19 Relief Plan Would Temporarily Lower Marketplace Premiums for Millions and More than Offset Short-Term State Costs to Expand Their Medicaid Programs

    News Release

    The House COVID-19 relief proposal would temporarily lower what millions of Marketplace enrollees and uninsured potential enrollees would pay toward premiums and would provide states that have not expanded their Medicaid programs a financial boost that would more than offset their costs initially, two new KFF analyses find. The analyses assess two parts of the House plan aimed at expanding access to affordable health coverage by expanding the Affordable Care Act’s tax credits for people…