Affordable Care Act

The ACA MarketplaceS

Individual Market Enrollment Declined by 18% Since June 2025

Individual Market Enrollment Fell 18%, Suggesting Continued ACA Marketplace Losses

Enrollment in the individual health insurance market fell by 18%—over 4.6 million people—from 25.2 million in June 2025 to 20.5 million in June 2026. Falling individual market enrollment suggests further decline in ACA Marketplace enrollment this year, since Marketplace enrollees represent the vast majority of individual market coverage.

About the ACA

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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?

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2,271-2,280 of 2,796 results

  • What’s the Political Power of Those Newly Insured Under Obamacare?

    News Release

      With 17 million people newly-insured since 2014, Drew Altman's latest column for The Wall Street Journal's Think Tank takes a look at whether they will make an impact in the first presidential election since Affordable Care Act enrollment began. All previous columns by Drew Altman are online.

  • The Cost of the Individual Mandate Penalty for the Remaining Uninsured

    Issue Brief

    This analysis provides estimates of the share of uninsured people eligible to enroll in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces who will be subject to the individual mandate penalty, and how those penalties are increasing for 2016. It also provides estimates of the number of people who could have a zero-dollar contribution or pay less for health insurance than the penalty, due to premium subsidies, and the number of people who would pay more for a…

  • Survey of Kentucky Residents on State Health Policy

    Poll Finding

    This survey of Kentucky residents gauges their views on health care policy in the state, including their preferences for the future of the Medicaid expansion and the state-based health insurance marketplace, Kynect. Kentucky has received national attention as the only Southern state to fully embrace the Affordable Care Act, though the state elected a new governor in November 2015 who campaigned on rolling back the Medicaid expansion and ending Kynect.

  • Average Individual Mandate Penalty to Rise 47 Percent to $969 in 2016 for Uninsured People Eligible for ACA Plans

    News Release

     3.5 Million Could Have a Zero-Dollar Premium Contribution or Pay Less for Health Insurance than Penalty Due to Premium Subsidies; 7.1 Million Would Pay More to Get Coverage A new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that among uninsured people who are eligible for an Affordable Care Act marketplace plan, the average penalty for remaining without coverage in 2016 would be $969 per household – 47 percent higher than the 2015 estimated average of $661.…

  • Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, and Medicare for All

    From Drew Altman

    In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman explores the differing positions of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders on a single payer or Medicare-for-all health care system and whether Democratic voters consider it an important factor in the 2016 primaries.

  • Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, and Medicare for All

    News Release

    In his latest column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman explores the differing positions of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders on a single payer or Medicare-for-all health care system and whether Democratic voters consider it an important factor in the 2016 primaries. All previous columns by Drew Altman are online.

  • Surprise Medical Bills

    Issue Brief

    This brief explores the problem of "surprise medical bills" -- charges arising when an insured individual inadvertently receives care from an out-of-network provider. It reviews studies on the extent of the issue, including Kaiser Family Foundation polling data, and outlines state and federal policy responses, including rules and proposed rules for Medicare and plans in Affordable Care Act marketplaces.

  • Will GOP Candidates’ Positions on Obamacare Matter in Crowded Field?

    News Release

    In his latest column for The Wall Street Journal's Think Tank, Drew Altman analyzes the politics of Republican Affordable Care Act replacement plans and the challenges all Republican candidates will face distinguishing themselves from others on the ACA in a crowded primary field. All previous columns by Drew Altman are available online.

  • Updated Infographic Explains New Federal Regulations on Contraceptive Coverage

    News Release

    A newly-updated infographic from the Kaiser Family Foundation explains the final regulations on employer-based coverage of birth control released today by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. How Does Where You Work Affect Your Contraceptive Coverage? provides a clear explanation of coverage requirements under the new regulations for employers with religious objections to contraceptive coverage, including houses of worship, religiously-affiliated nonprofits and closely-held for-profit corporations. A related summary, also updated to reflect the new regulations,…