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.

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  • State Exchange Profiles: Alaska

    Other Post

    Final update made on December 4, 2012 (no further updates will be made)  Establishing the Exchange On July 17, 2012, Governor Sean Parnell (R) announced that Alaska will not create a state-run health insurance exchange, and instead will allow the federal government to operate an exchange in the state.1 While a bill establishing an exchange was introduced in the 2011 legislative session and reconsidered in 2012, it failed to pass. Prior to the announcement that the…

  • State Marketplace Profiles: Nevada

    Other Post

    Final update made on September 26, 2013 (no further updates will be made ) Establishing the Marketplace On June 16, 2011, Nevada’s Governor Brian Sandoval (R) signed SB 440 into law establishing the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange.1  In March 2013, the state announced that the online marketplace would be called Nevada Health Link. Structure: The legislation defines Nevada’s Exchange as a quasi-governmental organization. Governance: The Marketplace is governed by a 10-member board, including three ex officio, non-voting…

  • Kaiser Family Foundation Launches Online Health Reform Source to Explain, Analyze, and Track the New Law’s Implementation

    News Release

    New Initial Features Include Animated Movie Explaining the Law, Policy and Public Opinion Monitoring, and State-Specific Data MENLO PARK, Calif. -- Nearly six months since the signing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and as some key provisions are due to be implemented, the Kaiser Family Foundation today launched an online gateway providing easy access to new and comprehensive resources on the health reform law.  Recognizing the transition from the debate about passage…

  • Women’s Health Quiz: Health Coverage and the Affordable Care Act

    Feature

    Health insurance coverage is a critical factor in making health care accessible to women—women with health coverage are more likely to obtain needed preventive, primary, and specialty care services. Test your knowledge of women’s health coverage and the effect of the Affordable Care Act on women with our ten-question quiz.

  • Testimony: Wellness Programs and Nondiscrimination Under Employer-Sponsored Group Health Plans

    Issue Brief

    This testimony by the Foundation's Karen Pollitz before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission included background on wellness programs, wellness incentives and nondiscrimination since 1996, and questions and issues related to proposed regulations governing the design and application of wellness programs offered in conjunction with employer-sponsored group health plans.

  • Helping People With HIV Navigate the Transition to ACA Coverage: Summary of a Roundtable Discussion

    Issue Brief

    In March 2013, the Kaiser Family Foundation convened key HIV/AIDS stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds to explore opportunities for maximizing the beneficial impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for people living with HIV and examine strategies to help them navigate the transition to new health coverage. This report summarizes the information shared and key issues discussed at the meeting.

  • Aligning Eligibility for Children: Moving the Stairstep Kids to Medicaid

    Issue Brief

    The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that Medicaid cover children with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) ($31,322 for a family of four in 2013) as of January 2014. Today, there are “stairstep” eligibility rules for children. States must cover children under the age of six in families with income of at least 133 percent of the FPL in Medicaid while older children and teens with incomes above 100 percent…

  • Development of the Financial Alignment Demonstrations for Dual Eligible Beneficiaries: Perspectives from National and State Disability Stakeholders

    Issue Brief

    This issue brief provides an early snapshot into disability community perspectives on state design and implementation efforts related to the new financial alignment demonstrations for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, with an emphasis on non-elderly beneficiaries and those who use long-term services and supports.