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

2,301 - 2,310 of 2,780 Results

  • Five Key Questions And Answers About Section 1115 Medicaid Waivers

    Issue Brief

    This issue brief provides an overview of what Section 1115 Medicaid waivers are, how they are approved and financed, how states have used them, and how they are impacted by health reform. For many years, Section 1115 waivers have been used by states to test new coverage approaches not otherwise allowed under Medicaid program rules. Some waivers have also raised important policy issues. Since the passage of the health reform law, several states, including California,…

  • 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…

  • Family Health Premiums Rise 4 Percent to Average of $15,745 in 2012, National Benchmark Employer Survey Finds

    News Release

    Menlo Park, Calif. – Annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage reached $15,745 this year, up 4 percent from last year, with workers on average paying $4,316 toward the cost of their coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) 2012 Employer Health Benefits Survey released today. This year’s premium increase is moderate by historical standards, but outpaced the growth in workers’ wages (1.7 percent) and general inflation (2.3 percent). Since…

  • A Dose of Reality in the Virtual World of Health IT

    Event Date:
    Event

    The Alliance for Health Reform hosted a September 28 briefing to discuss electronic health records (EHRs), and the progress of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. Speakers explored such questions as: How does health information technology fit in the strategy for health care delivery transformation? What role are EHRs playing in care coordination, accountable care organizations and other innovations? What are the special challenges facing solo and small physician practices?…

  • Medicaid and Its Role in State/Federal Budgets and Health Reform: A Fact Sheet

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet highlights key issues about Medicaid, including the structure, financing and purpose of the program, its role for low-income beneficiaries, its share of the federal budget and state budgets and the significant implications of the coverage expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Fact Sheet (.pdf) Related chartpack: Medicaid and Its Role in State/Federal Budgets and Health Reform

  • The Texas Health Care Landscape

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet summarizes the Texas health care landscape, including data on demographics, population health, the uninsured and the state Medicaid program. Fact Sheet (.pdf)

  • Americans’ Views on the Supreme Court Case Mirror Their Views on the Health Reform Law

    News Release

    The Public Expects Parts Of The Affordable Care Act To Continue Whatever The Court Rules Two Years After Passage The Public Is Evenly Divided On The Law, Split Sharply Along Partisan Lines MENLO PARK, Calif. -- The requirement that nearly everyone obtain health insurance or pay a fine has long been Americans’ least favorite part of the health reform law, and their views on what the Supreme Court should do about that key provision, known…

  • Massachusetts and Ohio: Capitated Financial Alignment Demonstrations for Dual Eligible Beneficiaries Compared

    Fact Sheet

    The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with Massachusetts and Ohio to test a capitated financial alignment model to integrate care and align financing for people who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid in 2013. CMS also has signed an MOU with Washington to test a managed fee-for-service model. These three year demonstrations will introduce changes in the care delivery systems through which beneficiaries presently receive services…

  • Many Women Use Preventive Services, but Gaps in Awareness of Insurance Coverage Requirements Persist: Findings from the 2022 KFF Women’s Health Survey

    Issue Brief

    This brief presents findings from the 2022 KFF Women’s Health Survey on women’s receipt of cancer screenings and other preventive services and differences between subgroups of women. We also present data on women’s and men’s awareness of federal requirements for private insurance coverage of preventive services.

  • Medicare Advantage Insurers Report Much Higher Gross Margins Per Enrollee Than Insurers in Other Markets

    News Release

    A new analysis of health insurers’ 2021 financial data shows that insurers continue to report much higher gross margins per enrollee in the Medicare Advantage market than in other health insurance markets. The analysis examines insurers’ financial data in the Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care, individual (non-group), and fully insured group (employer) markets. In 2021, Medicare Advantage insurers reported gross margins averaging $1,730 per enrollee, at least double the margins reported by insurers in the…