Home Affordable Care Act Topics

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.

Latest News

More KFF Health News

Stay informed.

Get KFF's latest on the Affordable Care Act

Stay informed.

Get KFF's
latest on the Affordable
Care Act

https://js.hsforms.net/forms/embed/292449.js

View the Latest: Affordable Care Act

Filter

List Grid

2,001 - 2,010 of 2,780 Results

  • ¿Hay momentos especiales para inscribirse en el mercado para las personas que han perdido Medicaid o CHIP?

    FAQs

    En los estados que usan cuidadodesalud.gov, el período especial de inscripción actual debido a la pérdida de Medicaid o CHIP se extenderá de 60 a 90 días. Esto significa que los consumidores tendrán hasta 90 días después de la pérdida de esos beneficios para inscribirse en el mercado de seguros. En los mercados de seguros estatales, el período especial de inscripción tras la pérdida de la cobertura de Medicaid o CHIP es de 90 días;…

  • Mi pareja y yo vivimos juntos, pero no estamos casados. ¿Se utilizarán nuestros ingresos familiares combinados para determinar nuestra elegibilidad y el monto de los subsidios para las primas?

    FAQs

    Suponiendo que ninguno de los dos declara dependientes en su declaración de impuestos, se considerará que cada uno forma un hogar individual y sus ingresos se utilizarán para determinar la elegibilidad y el monto de los subsidios para las primas y las reducciones de costos compartidos. Si cumplen los requisitos para los subsidios para las primas, cada uno recibirá una determinación por separado sobre el monto de su crédito y si cumplen los requisitos para…

  • Soy autónomo y mis ingresos varían de un año a otro. ¿Cómo solicito subsidios para las primas si no sé cuáles serán mis ingresos el próximo año?

    FAQs

    Al solicitar el subsidio para las primas, se le pedirá que calcule sus ingresos esperados para el año siguiente. Un buen punto de partida suele ser considerar sus ingresos de este año o los que declaró en su declaración de impuestos del año anterior. Sin embargo, si sus circunstancias han cambiado desde entonces, debería calcular lo mejor posible sus ingresos para el próximo año. Por ejemplo, si perdió su trabajo recientemente, podría calcular menos ingresos…

  • What Are Some Policy Options for Reaching the 2.2 Million Uninsured People in the ACA’s “Coverage Gap”?

    News Release

    A new KFF issue brief explores several potential policy options that would help close the Affordable Care Act’s "coverage gap," including providing further new incentives for states to expand Medicaid, creating a new "public option" or extending ACA Marketplace premium subsidies to low-income people who don’t currently qualify for federal help. At stake is affordable health coverage for 2.2 million uninsured people with incomes below the federal poverty level ($12,880 annually for an individual in…

  • Vast Majority of Large Employers Surveyed Say Broader Government Role Will Be Necessary to Control Health Costs and Provide Coverage, Survey Finds

    News Release

    Top executives at nearly 90% of large employers surveyed believe the cost of providing health benefits to employees will become unsustainable in the next five-to-10 years, and 85% expect the government will be required to intervene to provide coverage and contain costs, according to a new survey released today from Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH) and KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation), with support from the West Health Institute. The research exposes large employers’ mounting concerns…

  • Two-Thirds of the Public Say the U.S. Should Play a Major Role in Distributing COVID-19 Vaccines Globally, But Not Most Republicans

    News Release

    With increased attention to the global need for COVID-19 vaccines and the Biden administration’s announcement today about how it plans to distribute the first portion of the 80 million doses it will share by the end of this month, the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll finds that two-thirds of the public (66%) say that the U.S. should play at least a “major role” in distributing COVID-19 vaccines to other countries, including about a quarter (27%)…

  • A Status Report on Prescription Drug Policies and Proposals at the Start of the Biden Administration

    Issue Brief

    This brief provides a status update on prescription drug final rules advanced by the Trump Administration in its final months related to Medicare, importation, and 340B pricing for insulin and epinephrine, and an overview of key drug pricing proposals related to Medicare and prescription drug prices generally that were voted on but not enacted in the previous Congress that may return to the forefront of health policy discussions in the coming years.

  • ACA Open Enrollment Matters for Medicaid Coverage, Too

    Policy Watch

    President Biden’s January 28th executive order to reopen enrollment in the federal ACA Marketplace from February 15 through May 15, combined with $50 million in federal spending on outreach and education about ACA coverage options, has the potential to reach millions of people who were uninsured prior to or have lost coverage during the pandemic. As of 2019, there were 29 million non-elderly uninsured people, and the majority (57%) were eligible for financial assistance through…

  • How the COVID-19 Pandemic is Affecting People’s Mental Health and Substance Use

    News Release

    Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis, about 4 in 10 adults nationwide have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder – a four-fold increase from pre-pandemic levels. Drawing on the latest national survey data, KFF polling and other research, an updated brief explores what’s known about the pandemic’s impact on people’s mental health and substance use and its implications for Americans’ well-being. Among the key conclusions:   • Young adults have been especially…

  • KFF Tracking Poll: More Than a Third of Americans Say They’ve Struggled to Pay Living Expenses Since December; 6 in 10 Families Hit by COVID Have Lost A Job or Income

    News Release

    Majorities Favor Provisions to Expand Marketplace Tax Credits and Encourage States to Expand Medicaid As Congress considers an additional $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan, more than a third (37%) of Americans say that someone in their household has had trouble paying basic living expenses over the past three months, the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. This includes nearly 1 in 4 (23%) who say they have fallen behind on their credit card bills, and…