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9 Things to Watch for the 2027 ACA Open Enrollment Period

9 Things to Watch for the 2027 ACA Open Enrollment Period 

The ACA Marketplace Open Enrollment season begins November 1, bringing higher out-of-pocket premium payments, new eligibility requirements for certain groups, and state efforts to offset premium increases following the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits. Read our analysis of what these and other changes could mean for enrollees.

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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?

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  • The Future of Medicare Advantage: Are We on the Right Path?

    Event Date:
    Event

    This June 10 briefing looked at Medicare Advantage and changes affecting it, including revised calculations of payments from CMS, and the Affordable Care Act's reduced payments to Medicare Advantage plans. Speakers discussed how Medicare Advantage plans are expected to respond to payment changes; if quality bonus payments created significant changes in patient care or plan choices; and what implications could these decisions have on beneficiaries with regard to premiums, benefits and more.

  • Quality of Care in Community Health Centers and Factors Associated with Performance

    Issue Brief

    This study examines quality among health centers relative to Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs). Chronic care quality among health centers is high; gaps in women’s preventive care are a concern. Lower-performing health centers have very high uninsured and homeless rates. The expansion of Medicaid and private insurance under the ACA may foster gains in health center quality performance.

  • Beyond Rebates: How Much Are Consumers Saving from the ACA’s Medical Loss Ratio Provision?

    Perspective

    The Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) saved consumers an estimated $2.1 billion last year, in the form of lower premiums and rebates, according to a new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Under health reform, insurers must issue consumer rebates if they fail to spend a certain portion of premium income on health care claims and quality improvement expenses, thereby limiting what they may spend on administrative expenses or…

  • Key Lessons from Medicaid and CHIP for Outreach and Enrollment Under the Affordable Care Act

    Issue Brief

    The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will significantly increase coverage options through an expansion of Medicaid and the creation of new health insurance exchange marketplaces. However, effective outreach and enrollment efforts will be key to ensuring that new coverage opportunities translate into increased coverage. Based on a review of existing research, this brief identifies five key lessons learned through previous Medicaid and CHIP experience to help inform outreach and enrollment under the ACA. The brief is…

  • Covering The ACA May Be Almost As Hard As Implementing It

    From Drew Altman

    This Pulling It Together was adapted from a column I published earlier this week in Politico, with a new introduction added. You can read the original Politico column here. The implementation of the ACA is news and the public will demand information about it. Journalists and news organizations have an obligation to cover this story.  As Kaiser CEO I serve as the publisher of our non-profit news service, Kaiser Health News, and also as the head…

  • 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.

  • Can We Learn From ACA Implementation and Improve the Law?

    From Drew Altman

    Senator Baucus made headlines recently when he predicted a “train wreck” for Obamacare. David Brooks predicted “chaos” in a recent column. In a news conference, the President offered a different perspective.  “There’ll still be, you know, glitches and bumps…. That’s pretty much true of every government program that’s ever been set up,” Obama said. “But if we stay with it, and we understand what our long-term objective is, which is making sure that in a…