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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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  • Most of the Public Worries About the Future of Medicare But Sees Debate About Medicare Cuts More as Playing Politics than Actual Plans

    News Release

    With a divided Congress expected to weigh spending cuts during its debt ceiling and budget debates, the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll finds that the public has broad concerns about Medicare’s sustainability for the future but mostly views the debate about Medicare cuts as largely politics. About eight in 10 (81%) adults – including similar shares of Democrats, independents and Republicans – say they worry Medicare will not be able to provide the same level…

  • Analysis Examines How Gaining Health Coverage Affected Consumers’ Lives in 2014

    News Release

    An analysis of a 2014 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that previously uninsured Americans who obtained health coverage that year experienced improved access to care and a decrease in financial insecurity, though they remained concerned about cost.  The analysis of the 2014 Kaiser Survey of Low-Income Americans and the ACA finds that about 11 million previously uninsured nonelderly adults obtained health coverage during 2014, the year the ACA’s new coverage options were fully…

  • Renewals in Medicaid and CHIP: Implementation of Streamlined ACA Policies and the Potential Role of Managed Care Plans

    Issue Brief

    This brief reviews the new renewal requirements for Medicaid and CHIP that are designed to maintain continuity of coverage for eligible individuals. It provides an overview of state implementation of the new renewal policies and considers the potential role managed care plans can play in supporting renewals. Key findings include: some aspects of the simplified renewal policies have not yet been fully implemented due to a range of challenges; some states, including Washington and Rhode…

  • Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Late June 2015 – A Special Focus On The Supreme Court Decision

    Feature

    The latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds that when told that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to keep the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as it is, allowing subsidies to be provided to low- and moderate-income people in all states regardless of who runs their Marketplace, about 6 in 10 say they approve of the decision while about a third disapprove. The King v. Burwell ruling does not appear to have had an immediate effect on…

  • What a Break in the Obamacare Battles Could Bring

    From Drew Altman

    Following the Supreme Court’s King v. Burwell decision, the Affordable Care Act could use a break from the intense political heat, though it may not get a long one as the 2016 election season heats up and presidential candidates play to their bases on health care, writes Drew Altman in his latest column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank.

  • What a Break in the Obamacare Battles Could Bring

    News Release

    Following the Supreme Court’s King v. Burwell decision, the Affordable Care Act could use a break from the intense political heat, though it may not get a long one as the 2016 election season heats up and presidential candidates play to their bases on health care, writes Drew Altman in his latest column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank. All previous columns by Drew Altman are available.

  • Takeaways From Alaska’s Medicaid Expansion

    From Drew Altman

    In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses the implications of the governor of Alaska’s decision to move ahead unilaterally with Medicaid expansion.