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: Indiana

    Other Post

    Final update made on December 13, 2012 (no further updates will be made)  Establishing the Exchange In November 2012, Governor-elect Mike Pence (R) announced that he would not move forward with setting up a state-based health insurance exchange when he takes office in 2013.1 During his term, Governor Mitch Daniels (R) had signed Executive Order #11-01 in 2011 to conditionally establish and operate the Indiana Insurance Market, Inc., a nonprofit corporation to serve as the…

  • State Exchange Profiles: Georgia

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    Final update made on December 11, 2012 (no further updates will be made) Establishing the Exchange On November 16, 2012, Governor Nathan Deal (R) announced that the Georgia had stopped planning for an exchange.1 In the previous year Governor Deal issued an Executive Order to create the Georgia Health Exchange Advisory Committee to assess whether and how Georgia should establish a health benefit exchange.2 The 25-member Committee included state officials, insurers, brokers, business representatives, consumers, and providers.3 The…

  • State Exchange Profiles: North Carolina

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    Final update made on February 12, 2013 (no further updates will be made)  Establishing the Exchange On November 15, 2012, Governor Beverly Perdue (D) declared the state’s intent to establish a state-federal partnership health insurance exchange.1 However, on February 12, 2013, newly-elected Governor Pat McCrory (R) issued a statement indicating that North Carolina will abandon efforts to establish a partnership exchange and will instead allow the federal government to operate the exchange.2 In 2011, Governor Perdue had…

  • State Marketplace Profiles: Nevada

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    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…

  • State Exchange Profiles: Pennsylvania

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    Final update made on December 12, 2012 (no further updates will be made) Establishing the Exchange On December 12, 2012, Governor Tom Corbett (R) notified federal officials that Pennsylvania would default to a federally-facilitated health insurance exchange.1 Prior to the announcement, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department had taken the lead with exchange planning. The Insurance Department, released an extensive report in November 2011 that suggested broad support for a state-run exchange.2 In January 2012, the Department released…

  • 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.