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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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  • Veo “planes catastróficos” que parecen incluso más económicos que otros planes del mercado. ¿Qué son? ¿Puedo comprar uno?

    FAQs

    Los planes catastróficos tienen los costos compartidos más altos y las primas más bajas. En 2026, los planes catastróficos tendrán un deducible anual de $10.600 para una persona o $21.200 para una familia. El plan no tiene que cubrir más de tres consultas de atención primaria antes de alcanzar el deducible. Los planes catastróficos solo se pueden vender a ciertas personas. Consulte estas preguntas frecuentes para obtener más información. Tenga en cuenta que si es…

  • ¿Qué sucede si recibo atención de un médico que no está en la red de mi plan?

    FAQs

    En general, los planes no están obligados a cubrir la atención recibida de un proveedor fuera de la red (OON). Por ejemplo, si decide consultar a un médico de cabecera que no pertenece a la red de su plan, es posible que su aseguradora no cubra la factura o, si lo hace, podría tener que pagar un costo compartido mucho mayor que si hubiera optado por consultar a un proveedor dentro de la red. En…

  • Me faltan algunos años para cumplir 65 años y ser elegible para Medicare, y mientras tanto me gustaría inscribirme en un plan del mercado de seguros. Soy inmigrante, residente legal, y he oído que hay u...

    FAQs

    En general, los inmigrantes con estatus legal (excepto los beneficiarios de DACA) pueden adquirir un plan en el mercado de seguros establecidos por la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio (ACA). La nueva ley no afecta la elegibilidad para la cobertura del mercado de seguros para estos inmigrantes. Actualmente, dependiendo de sus ingresos y el tamaño de su hogar, podría ser elegible para subsidios para compensar el costo de sus primas. Sin embargo,…

  • ¿Mi plan de salud estudiantil tiene que cubrir la anticoncepción? Y, si no, ¿cuáles son mis opciones?

    FAQs

    Depende del tipo de cobertura que ofrezca su universidad. Generalmente, sí, si se trata de un plan "Totalmente asegurado". Estos planes deben proporcionar, sin costo compartido, acceso a todos los métodos anticonceptivos aprobados por la Administración de Drogas y Alimentos (FDA), procedimientos de esterilización, educación y asesoramiento para pacientes ordenados por un profesional de la salud. Si su plan de salud estudiantil es "autoasegurado", la cobertura de anticonceptivos depende de qué servicios estén cubiertos, lo…

  • My employer doesn’t offer health insurance. Can I buy a plan on the Marketplace and qualify for financial assistance?

    FAQs

    Yes, if your employer does not offer you health insurance, you can shop for a plan on the Marketplace instead. The annual Open Enrollment period to sign up for coverage runs from November 1 to January 15 in most states. Depending on your income and household information, you may qualify for premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions to help offset your costs. If your income is very low, the Marketplace will also help determine if…

  • I don’t have a checking account. Can the insurance company require that I get one and pay my premiums through automatic monthly withdrawals?

    FAQs

    No. Insurers offering coverage in the Marketplace are required to provide a variety of payment methods and cannot require a consumer to pay by automatic bank withdrawals (sometimes called electronic funds transfers, or EFT) or debit card. Federal rules require the insurer to also accept paper checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, and general-purpose pre-paid debit cards. These methods must be available to consumers for both the initial premium payment (at enrollment) and ongoing payments.

  • National ACA Marketplace Signups Dipped a Modest 3.7 Percent This Year

    News Release

    Overall ACA marketplace signups for 2018 dropped by 3.7 percent compared to last year’s enrollment period, a new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds. 11,760,533 people signed up for 2018 health insurance coverage on the ACA individual marketplaces, amid steep reductions in federal funding for outreach and navigators, an enrollment period half as long, and a climate of political uncertainty surrounding the law. The federal government also terminated cost-sharing subsidy payments to insurers in…

  • Approved Changes in Indiana’s Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver Extension

    Issue Brief

    On February 1, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved an amended extension of Indiana’s Healthy Indiana Program 2.0 (HIP 2.0) Section 1115 demonstration waiver. Indiana’s waiver initially implemented the ACA’s Medicaid expansion from February, 2015 through January, 2018 by modifying Indiana’s pre-ACA limited coverage expansion waiver (HIP 1.0). Unlike other states that implemented the ACA’s Medicaid expansion through a waiver, Indiana’s demonstration also changes the terms of coverage for non-expansion adults…