Affordable Care Act

About the ACA

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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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  • The Health Care Plan Trump Voters Really Want

    From Drew Altman

    In a New York Times op-ed, Drew Altman draws on observations from focus groups in rust belt states of people in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces who voted for President-elect Trump and say they may not like their coverage under the ACA but could like Republican replacement plans even less.

  • Interactive Maps: Estimates of Enrollment in ACA Marketplaces and Medicaid Expansion

    Interactive

    As the 115th U.S. Congress deliberates the future of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, an interactive map from the Kaiser Family Foundation provides estimates of the number of people in each congressional district who enrolled in a 2017 ACA marketplace health plan and the political party of each district’s representative as of October 2017. The analysis also includes maps charting the total number of people enrolled under the ACA Medicaid expansion in…

  • Data Note: Estimated Medicaid Savings in the House Budget Resolution from March 2016

    Issue Brief

    While the current Budget Resolution under consideration will set the framework for a repeal of the ACA, the Budget Resolution that passed in March 2016 provides insight into other Medicaid cuts that could be considered by Congress later this year. This Data Note examines proposed reductions in federal Medicaid funding under the March 2016 House Budget Resolution.

  • New Survey Finds 72% of Previously Uninsured Californians Now Have Coverage, Including 78% of Those Eligible for New Affordable Care Act Options

    News Release

    For Remaining Uninsured Residents, Cost and Immigration Status Are Main Obstacles Three years after the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansions were fully implemented in California, nearly three quarters (72%) of the state’s previously uninsured residents now have health coverage, finds the fourth Kaiser Family Foundation Longitudinal Panel Survey, which is tracking the experiences of a randomly selected group of Californian adults who were uninsured in 2013. This is similar to the share who reported having insurance…

  • Medicaid Coverage of Family Planning Benefits: Results from a State Survey

    Report

    This survey of states’ Medicaid family planning policies under fee-for-service finds wide coverage of most prescription contraceptives among 40 states and the District of Columbia (DC), but variable coverage of emergency contraceptives and other family planning-related services. It is the first published report on state coverage of family planning benefits since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

  • KFF Analysis: Average Health Insurance Tax Credit for Consumers Would Be at Least a Third Lower Under Currently Discussed Replacement Plans than the ACA

    News Release

    A new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that the average health insurance premium tax credit received by consumers in 2020 would be at least 36 percent lower under replacement proposals being discussed by Republicans in Congress than under the Affordable Care Act. The average tax credit also would increase more slowly under replacement proposals, the analysis finds: In the House Discussion Draft alternative to the ACA, which has been recently discussed in media…

  • 10 Ways Women Could Be Affected by Repeal of the Affordable Care Act

    News Release

    Repeal of the Affordable Care Act could have a profound impact on women, as the law fundamentally changed women’s health coverage, benefits, and access to care. In a new issue brief, the Kaiser Family Foundation outlines 10 ways women could be affected if the ACA is repealed or its provisions are otherwise eliminated or modified, including through changes proposed in the House Republican replacement bill, the American Health Care Act. The brief discusses the potential…

  • Key Questions About Medicaid Block Grants

    News Release

    As policymakers in Washington discuss Affordable Care Act repeal and a possible block grant for Medicaid, a new issue brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation lays out key questions to consider in restructuring federal financing of the nation’s health insurance program for low-income Americans. Capping federal funding for Medicaid through a block grant or a per capita cap financing system would make federal spending more predictable and achieve federal budget savings. It also could be structured…

  • Don’t Expect Medicaid Work Requirements to Make a Big Difference

    From Drew Altman

    Under the Trump Administration, some Republican governors may look to move their Medicaid programs in a more conservative direction. In his latest column for Axios, Drew Altman discusses the arguments about Medicaid “work requirements” and why few people are likely to be affected by them in practice.