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The ACA Marketplace

2025 KFF Marketplace Enrollees Survey

About one in three ACA enrollees said they would be “very likely” to look for a lower-premium Marketplace plan If their premium payments doubled, according to a KFF survey conducted in 2025.

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Tracking the Public’s Views on the ACA

While overall opinion of the Affordable Care Act has been more favorable than unfavorable since 2017, there remain deep partisan divides. See how public opinion on the ACA has changed from the inception of the law to the present. This interactive tool highlights key moments when views shifted and trends based on party identification, income, age, gender, and race/ethnicity.

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  • My income is low enough that I qualify for advanced premium tax credits (APTCs), but I have never filed a federal tax return before. Can I still receive APTCs?

    FAQs

    If this is your first time applying for premium tax credits, then yes. There is no requirement to have filed a tax return for any prior year to qualify for premium tax credits. However, because you have never filed a federal tax return, you will likely have to provide additional documentation (such as pay stubs or a work contract) to the Marketplace within 90 days to verify your projected household income for premium tax credits. …

  • What happens with the premium tax credits if we want different Marketplace plans for different family members?

    FAQs

    Assuming you are part of one application, the members of your household can enroll in separate plans in a health insurance Marketplace. For example, you may want separate plans because a grown child lives in another part of the state or because your spouse needs a plan with a different provider network than the one you chose. The premium tax credit will be allocated to the plans in which different family members enroll. However, if…

  • Should I claim a premium tax credit in advance, at the end of the year, or some of both?

    FAQs

    That’s up to you. You can have tax credits paid directly to your health plan each month to reduce your monthly premium right away, or, if you can afford to, you can pay the entire health plan premium yourself up front and collect the premium tax credit in a lump sum next year when you file your tax return. Alternatively, you can have some of the tax credit paid directly to your insurer in advance…

  • What are premium tax credits and how do they work?

    FAQs

    Premium tax credits reduce your premium for most Marketplace plans. The amount of the tax credit you may receive depends on your income and the cost of Marketplace health plans in your area. The Marketplace will determine the expected contribution you are required to pay toward the premium for a mid-range (Silver) benchmark plan. The expected contribution will increase on a sliding scale based on your 2026 income, with more financial assistance for enrollees with…

  • Can I buy health insurance outside of the Marketplace that meets all ACA consumer protection standards?

    FAQs

    Yes. Many insurers that offer plans through the ACA Marketplace also offer identical plans outside of the Marketplace that meet all ACA standards, although premium tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies are not available for plans sold outside of the Marketplace. Some people prefer to buy health insurance outside of the Marketplace when they are sure they won’t qualify for financial assistance. Like health insurance plans sold on the Marketplace, “ACA-compliant” plans sold outside of the…

  • I received a Form 1095-A from the Marketplace. What is that?

    FAQs

    Form 1095-A gives you information about the amount of advance premium tax credit (APTC) you received during the previous year. A copy of this form is also reported to the IRS. Keep this form with your other tax records. The APTC you received was based on the annual income you estimated you would earn when you signed up for Marketplace coverage. Now you must file a federal income tax return to compute your actual income for that coverage…

  • I had a Marketplace plan last year, but paid the full premium myself because I made too much to qualify for premium tax credits. When I did my taxes though, my income for the year ended up being less th...

    FAQs

    Yes. Premium tax credits can be claimed in advance (during the year) or when you file your taxes. To claim the credit, you will need to file a federal income tax return and Form 8962. Follow the instructions on Form 8962 to determine the amount of tax credit you should receive as a refund when you file your taxes.

  • What is Form 8962?

    FAQs

    If you received an advanced premium tax credit (APTC) through the Marketplace last year, you must file a Form 8962 with your federal income tax return in order to "reconcile" your estimated and actual income for the year, even if you estimated your income perfectly. You can get a blank Form 8962 from the IRS website, or, if you use tax preparation software, the form will be automatically generated for you. The instructions for Form…

  • I received a Form 1095-C in the mail. What’s that?

    FAQs

    Form 1095-C will indicate your name and the name of your employer, the months when you were eligible for coverage, and the cost to you of the cheapest monthly premium you could have enrolled in under your employer’s health plan. If you worked for a large employer that did not offer its full-time employees health coverage, Form 1095-C will also indicate that. Keep this form with your tax records. You may need this form if…

  • I got a premium tax credit this year, but I didn’t realize I was supposed to file taxes for last year. Will that affect my ability to renew my premium tax credits for next year?

    FAQs

    Yes. In general, you are required to file a federal income tax return for any tax year in which you received Advanced Premium Tax Credits (APTC) for a Marketplace plan. You are also required to file Form 8962 with your tax return to “reconcile” the amount of APTC you received with your actual income for the tax year. Click here for more information. Consumers who do not file their taxes and reconcile any of their advance…