Affordable Care Act

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?

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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  • Obamacare y Usted: Si tiene bajos ingresos y puede calificar para Medicaid

    Fact Sheet

    Obamacare crea muchas formas de obtener cobertura de salud. Usted puede aprender sobre sus opciones llenando una única aplicación. Así, se le dirá si califica para cobertura gratis o a bajo costo a través del programa Medicaid, o a través de los nuevos Mercados de Seguros Médicos que han sido establecidos en cada estado. Usted debería aplicar para cobertura aunque en el pasado no haya tenido la capacidad de tenerla a través del Medicaid o…

  • Obamacare y Usted: Si compra seguro médico en el mercado individual

    Fact Sheet

    Si usted compra su plan de salud por su cuenta (en vez de tener cobertura a través de su empleador), usted tendrá nuevas opciones para tener su cobertura, pero la Ley del Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio requiere que usted esté asegurado o será multado. Qué está cubierto Bajo Obamacare, los planes de salud deben cubrir visitas al doctor, hospitalizaciones, recetas de drogas y cuidado materno sin restricciones por condiciones preexistentes, o condiciones físicas…

  • Obamacare y Usted: Si tiene Medicare

    Fact Sheet

    Si usted tiene Medicare, su cobertura de salud no tiene cambios como consecuencia del Obamacare. Usted puede seguir confiando en el Medicare para ayudar a pagar su hospital, doctores y otros gastos médicos. Usted todavía tiene la opción de elegir entre el Medicare tradicional o el Medicare Advantage Plan (como un Medicare HMO) ofrecido en su área, y entre otros planes de Medicare para medicamentos recetados. Si usted está en Medicare y tiene bajos ingresos,…

  • A Closer Look at the Courts’ Impact on Health Policy

    News Release

    In his latest column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman maps what the combined impact of the Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion and a plaintiff’s win in Halbig would look like and discusses the impact of court decisions on health policy. All previous columns by Drew Altman are available online.

  • Premiums Set to Decline Slightly for Benchmark ACA Marketplace Insurance Plans in 2015

    News Release

    Analysis of 15 States and D.C. Also Finds Changes Vary Across States and Insurers Results Suggest Consumers Should Shop Carefully When Open Enrollment Begins November 15 MENLO PARK, Calif. -- An early look at the cost of health insurance in 16 major cities finds that average premiums for the benchmark silver plan – the one upon which federal financial help under the Affordable Care Act to consumers is based – will decrease slightly in 2015. …

  • Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: August-September 2014

    Feature

    The latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll includes a special look at registered voters’ views and what role, if any, the the Affordable Care Act might be playing in the upcoming midterm election. Partisan divisions on the law are as deep as ever, not only when it comes to overall opinion but also in the public’s perception of how the law has impacted their own families and the next steps they want Congress to take.

  • Republicans Have an Edge in Voter Enthusiasm Heading Into Fall, But Few Cite ACA as Motivating Factor

    News Release

    Anti-Obamacare Ads Reaching Most Voters in Competitive Senate Races Health Care Ranks Among Several Second-Tier Issues for Voters in Midterm Elections Behind the Economy The latest Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll finds Republicans with a modest edge in terms of voter enthusiasm, but the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare, is not the main motivator. The poll finds that 27 percent of Republicans say they are “more enthusiastic” about voting this year than in…

  • National Survey Finds 10.6 Million People Helped By Navigators and Assisters During the Affordable Care Act’s First Open Enrollment Period

    News Release

    An estimated 10.6 million people nationally received personal help from navigators and assisters during the Affordable Care Act's first open enrollment period, finds a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey of navigators and assister programs nationally. The survey estimates that the 4,400 assister programs operating nationally had an estimated 28,000 full-time staff and volunteers, suggesting each assister would have helped more than 370 people on average during the six-month open enrollment period that ran from October…