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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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  • How Will the Uninsured in Vermont Fare Under the Affordable Care Act?

    Fact Sheet

    This state report explains how the ACA expands coverage in Vermont, including a breakdown of how many uninsured people are eligible for Medicaid, how many are eligible for financial assistance to help them buy private insurance in the new Marketplace and how many will not receive any financial assistance at all. The report also details, in specific dollar figures, the income levels at which people in Vermont are eligible for Medicaid or financial assistance in…

  • How Will the Uninsured in Virginia Fare Under the Affordable Care Act?

    Fact Sheet

    This state report explains how the ACA expands coverage in Virginia, including a breakdown of how many uninsured people are eligible for Medicaid, how many are eligible for financial assistance to help them buy private insurance in the new Marketplace and how many will not receive any financial assistance at all. The report also details, in specific dollar figures, the income levels at which people in Virginia are eligible for Medicaid or financial assistance in…

  • How Will the Uninsured in West Virginia Fare Under the Affordable Care Act?

    Fact Sheet

    This state report explains how the ACA expands coverage in West Virginia, including a breakdown of how many uninsured people are eligible for Medicaid, how many are eligible for financial assistance to help them buy private insurance in the new Marketplace and how many will not receive any financial assistance at all. The report also details, in specific dollar figures, the income levels at which people in West Virginia are eligible for Medicaid or financial…

  • How Will the Uninsured in Wisconsin Fare Under the Affordable Care Act?

    Fact Sheet

    This state report explains how the ACA expands coverage in Wisconsin, including a breakdown of how many uninsured people are eligible for Medicaid, how many are eligible for financial assistance to help them buy private insurance in the new Marketplace and how many will not receive any financial assistance at all. The report also details, in specific dollar figures, the income levels at which people in Wisconsin are eligible for Medicaid or financial assistance in…

  • How Will the Uninsured in Wyoming Fare Under the Affordable Care Act?

    Fact Sheet

    This state report explains how the ACA expands coverage in Wyoming, including a breakdown of how many uninsured people are eligible for Medicaid, how many are eligible for financial assistance to help them buy private insurance in the new Marketplace and how many will not receive any financial assistance at all. The report also details, in specific dollar figures, the income levels at which people in Wyoming are eligible for Medicaid or financial assistance in…

  • An Introduction to Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility and Enrollment Performance Measures

    Issue Brief

    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently established 12 new Medicaid and CHIP eligibility and enrollment performance indicators for states to report beginning in October 2013. These indicators provide insight into the performance of new eligibility and enrollment policies established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In December 2013, CMS released initial reports for a subset of the indicators. This brief provides an overview of the new performance indicators; the initial data; and…

  • Coverage for Abortion Services and the ACA

    Issue Brief

    This issue brief, Coverage of Abortion Services and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), summarizes the major coverage provisions of the ACA that are relevant for women of reproductive age, reviews current federal and state policies on Medicaid and insurance coverage of abortion services as they relate to the ACA, and presents national and state estimates on the availability of abortion coverage for women who are newly eligible for Medicaid or private coverage through the Marketplaces…

  • Explaining Health Care Reform: Risk Adjustment, Reinsurance, and Risk Corridors

    Issue Brief

    This brief explains three provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – risk adjustment, reinsurance, and risk corridors – that were intended to promote insurer competition on the basis of quality and value and promote insurance market stability, particularly in the early years of reform as the ACA marketplaces, also known as exchanges, were established.

  • Webinar for Journalists: Women’s Health Under the Affordable Care Act

    Event Date:
    Event

    The Kaiser Family Foundation hosted an interactive webinar for journalists through its Media Fellowships Program: "Women's Health Under the Affordable Care Act," which took place on Thursday, February 6 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET. Now that the ACA's coverage expansions are in effect, the Foundation's latest webinar looked at how the law affects women's access to health coverage and care. The Kaiser Family Foundation's Alina Salganicoff, Vice President and Director of Women's Health Policy, and…

  • Health Affairs Article: Beyond Incrementalism? SCHIP and the Politics of Health Reform

    Report

    This article examines the political and legislative history of the Children's Health Insurance Program and analyzes the lessons for policymakers who are contemplating broader health care reform. It was published online in the journal Health Affairs and was authored by Jonathan Oberlander, an associate professor, social medicine and health policy and management, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Barbara Lyons, a vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation and deputy director…