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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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  • Obamacare y Usted: Si tiene una condición preexistente

    Fact Sheet

    Si usted o alguien de su familia tiene una condición de salud preexistente - como una enfermedad cardíaca, asma o inclusive un embarazo - usted encontrará que es mucho más fácil obtener cobertura o cambiar de plan, comenzando en el 2014. Obamacare prohíbe a las aseguradoras negar cobertura a personas con condiciones preexistentes, o condiciones físicas o mentales que existan antes que haya comenzado la cobertura. Las aseguradoras tampoco pueden negarse a pagar por otro…

  • Obamacare y Usted: Si tiene Medicare

    Fact Sheet

    Si usted tiene Medicare, su cobertura de salud no tiene cambios como consecuencia del Obamacare. Usted puede seguir confiando en el Medicare para ayudar a pagar su hospital, doctores y otros gastos médicos. Usted todavía tiene la opción de elegir entre el Medicare tradicional o el Medicare Advantage Plan (como un Medicare HMO) ofrecido en su área, y entre otros planes de Medicare para medicamentos recetados. Si usted está en Medicare y tiene bajos ingresos,…

  • Obamacare y usted

    Fact Sheet

    "Obamacare y usted" es una serie de materiales que explican cómo la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a (Affordable Care Act o ACA en inglés), también llamada “Obamacare,” afecta a diferentes grupos de personas. Haga clic en los links de abajo para aprender más: Si no tienes seguro médico Haga clic para leer en inglés / Click here to read this fact sheet in English Si tienes bajos ingresos y puede calificar para Medicaid Haga clic…

  • Obamacare y Usted: Si usted es una mujer

    Fact Sheet

    Como mujer, es especialmente importante para usted entender cómo la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio (Affordable Care Act o ACA, en inglés) cambiará el cuidado de salud en el 2014. Su atención médica necesita diferenciarse de la de los hombres y a menudo usted es la que toma las decisiones sobre el cuidado de salud de su familia. Obamacare amplía la variedad de muchos servicios que son importantes para las mujeres, y…

  • Health Coverage by Race and Ethnicity: The Potential Impact of the Affordable Care Act

    Issue Brief

    Executive Summary One of the key goals of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to reduce the number of uninsured through a Medicaid expansion and the creation of health insurance exchange marketplaces with advance premium tax credits to help moderate-income individuals pay for this coverage. Given that people of color are at disproportionate risk of being uninsured and having low incomes, the ACA coverage expansions could particularly benefit communities of color and advance efforts to…

  • Quick Take: Key Considerations in Evaluating the ACA Medicaid Expansion for States

    Fact Sheet

    A central goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to significantly reduce the number of uninsured by providing a continuum of affordable coverage options through Medicaid and new Health Insurance Exchanges.  Following the June 2012 Supreme Court decision, states face a decision about whether to adopt the Medicaid expansion. These decisions will have substantial consequences for health coverage for the low-income population. The 3 key questions that states should consider in…

  • Explaining Health Care Reform: Medical Loss Ratio (MLR)

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet explains the Medical Loss Ratio requirement under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The MLR provision limits the portion of premium dollars health insurers may spend on administration, marketing, and profits. Under health care reform, health insurers must publicly report the portion of premium dollars spent on health care and quality improvement and other activities in each state they operate. Insurers failing to meet the applicable standard must pay rebates to consumers and…

  • ACA 101: What You Need to Know

    Event Date:
    Event

    Useful review for anyone seeking to comprehend complex issues leading up to major implementations taking effect in 2014

  • New Reports Find States Expecting 7.4 Percent Growth in Medicaid Spending In Fiscal Year 2011 As the Recession’s Lingering Effects Drive Up Enrollment

    News Release

    States Face New Budget and Workforce Challenges As Temporary Federal Aid Nears End And Health Reform Planning Heats Up WASHINGTON, D.C. – Due to the nation’s deep recession, states experienced rapid growth in their Medicaid enrollment and spending last year and expect additional growth, though at a slower pace, in fiscal year 2011, according to a survey of state Medicaid officials in all 50 states released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and…

  • Mapping the Effects of the ACA’s Health Insurance Coverage Expansions

    Interactive

    The Foundation originally released this interactive tool in February 2012.  More recent analysis of the Affordable Care Act's potential impact on each state's uninsured population can be accessed through this interactive tool and these individual state reports. The Affordable Care Act includes several provisions that allow many individuals across the U.S. to be eligible for Medicaid or for federal tax credits to subsidize the cost of insurance. The analysis below and zip code tool estimate…