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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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  • Insurer Rebates under the Medical Loss Ratio: 2012 Estimates

    Report

    Beginning in 2011, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurance plans to pay out a minimum percentage of premium dollars towards health care expenses and quality improvement activities, limiting the amount spent on administrative and marketing costs and profit. Under the law, large group plans are required to spend at least 85 percent of premium dollars on health care and quality improvement, while small group plans must spend at least 80 percent. These ratios are…

  • How Five Leading Safety-Net Hospitals Are Preparing For The Challenges and Opportunities of Health Care Reform

    Report

    This study, published in the journal Health Affairs, examines how five leading safety-net hospitals are preparing for major changes expected to result from the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including less government support for uncompensated care and the need to compete for newly insured people. The hospitals studied are Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City; Denver Health Medical Center in Colorado; Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas; San Francisco General Hospital in California; and…

  • Children and Oral Health: Assessing Needs, Coverage and Access

    Issue Brief

    This policy brief highlights the prevalence of dental problems among children and examines gaps in oral health coverage and access to dental care, as well as disparities by income and race/ethnicity. It also looks at out-of-pocket costs for dental care, explains the role of Medicaid and CHIP in dental care, coverage and access for children and describes the expansion of oral health coverage for children under the Affordable Care Act. Issue Brief (.pdf)

  • State Exchange Profiles: Mississippi

    Other Post

    Final update made on February 11, 2013 (no further updates will be made) Establishing the Exchange In October 2011, Mississippi’s elected Commissioner of Insurance Mike Chaney (R) announced that the state would establish a Health Insurance Exchange that would be operated by the Mississippi Comprehensive Health Insurance Risk Pool Association and regulated by the Insurance Department.1 However, Governor Phil Bryant (R) has opposed the effort to establish a state-based exchange. The Comprehensive Health insurance Risk Pool…

  • State Marketplace Profiles: Massachusetts

    Other Post

    Final update made on September 29, 2013 (no further updates will be made) Establishing the Marketplace On April 12, 2006, former Governor Mitt Romney (R) signed into law comprehensive health reform legislation designed to provide near-universal health coverage for state residents.1  The Massachusetts health reform law became the model for national health reform. An important component of the law was the creation of the Massachusetts Health Connector, a health insurance marketplace that manages several coverage programs.…

  • State Marketplace Profiles: West Virginia

    Other Post

    Final update made on October 24, 2013 (no further updates will be made) Establishing the Marketplace On February 15, 2013, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin (D) submitted a blueprint to Secretary Sebelius for West Virginia to establish a Partnership Marketplace with plan management responsibilities.1  In the previous year, Governor Tomblin had signed SB 408 into law to establish the West Virginia Health Benefits Exchange and the state had begun exploring implementation options for a state-based marketplace.…

  • State Exchange Profiles: Nebraska

    Other Post

    Final update made on December 19, 2013 (no further updates will be made) Establishing the Exchange On November 15, 2012, Governor Dave Heineman (R) announced that Nebraska would not establish a health insurance exchange.1Earlier in 2012, the Nebraska legislature introduced two bills (LB 835 and LB 838) to establish a health insurance exchange in Nebraska, however both failed when the legislative session concluded in April.2,3 In 2011, Governor Heineman signed LB 22 into law, which…

  • State Exchange Profiles: Montana

    Other Post

    Final update made on April 19, 2013 (no further updates will be made) Establishing the Exchange In December 2012, Montana’s elected State Auditor Monica Lindeen (D) confirmed that the federal government would operate a health insurance exchange in Montana.1 The previous year, two proposed bills (HB620 and HB124) to establish a health insurance exchange in Montana failed.2,3 Instead, the legislature passed SB 228, a bill that would prohibit the creation of a health insurance exchange as proscribed…