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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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  • Kaiser Health Tracking Poll – June 2018: Campaigns, Pre-Existing Conditions, and Prescription Drug Ads

    Feature

    The June 2018 KFF Tracking Poll examines the top issues voters want to hear candidates talk about during their 2018 congressional campaigns, including the importance of specific health care positions such as continuing protections for people with pre-existing conditions. The Kaiser poll also examines the public’s views and experiences with prescription drug advertisements and pricing.

  • Proposals for Insurance Options That Don’t Comply with ACA Rules: Trade-offs In Cost and Regulation

    Issue Brief

    This brief examines four options to promote the sale of health plan options in the individual or non-group market that are not subject to Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements for other major medical health plans. It reviews the trade-offs involved if such loosely regulated markets take root as an alternative to the ACA-regulated market, particularly as the repeal of the individual mandate penalty takes effect next year.

  • 2018 Elections: Key Medicaid Issues to Watch

    Issue Brief

    Medicaid provides health insurance coverage for more than 76 million Americans, supplies funding for safety-net providers, and is the largest source of federal revenues for states. At this time last year, Congress was debating repeal and replace of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as well as more fundamental changes to Medicaid financing. While federal legislative changes to Medicaid did not pass in 2017, the outcomes of the 2018 elections will shape program changes at both…

  • Un año después de las tormentas: la recuperación y la atención de salud en Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes de EE.UU. (Informe)

    Issue Brief

    Un año después que los huracanes Irma y María tocaran tierra, Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes de EE.UU. (USVI) todavía sienten los efectos de las tormentas. Basándose en entrevistas con partes interesadas clave y en informes públicos, este reporte proporciona una visión general del estado de recuperación y los esfuerzos de preparación para la actual temporada de huracanes, un año después de las tormentas, enfocándose en los sistemas de atención de salud de los…

  • Compare Medicare-for-all and Public Plan Proposals

    Interactive

    This side-by-side interactive compares 10 bills to expand public health coverage through Medicare-for-All, a public option and other approaches, that have been introduced in the current Congress. The interactive allows users to compare these proposals across a number of dimensions, including eligibility, benefits, cost sharing, provider payments, and more.

  • Primers on Key Health Care Topics and Programs

    Issue Brief

    The Kaiser Family Foundation maintains a number of primers providing overviews of key health care programs and issues. Written by Foundation staff, each primer provides key data and information that helps illustrate the topic and its relevance for the nation's health care system. Medicaid: A Primer Medicare: A Primer The Uninsured: A Primer Health Care Costs: A Primer How Private Health Coverage Works: A Primer Mental Health Financing in the United States: A Primer The…

  • Expanding Medicaid to Low-Income Childless Adults Under Health Reform: Key Lessons From State Experiences

    Issue Brief

    The health reform law will expand Medicaid to millions of low-income adults, including many childless adults who have historically been ineligible for the program, necessitating one of the largest enrollment efforts in the program's history. This report, based on interviews with officials in seven states and the District of Columbia and national experts, examines lessons learned from past state experience covering childless adults through waiver and state-funded programs and profiles the programs included in the…

  • Building an Information Technology Foundation for Health Reform: A look at Recent Guidance and Funding Opportunities

    Issue Brief

    The major coverage provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) go into effect in January 2014 with an expansion of Medicaid eligibility to nearly all individuals under 138% of poverty and new subsidies for individuals with incomes between 138% and 400% of poverty to purchase coverage in newly established Health Insurance Exchanges. The ACA envisions a streamlined and simplified application process with seamless transitions between coverage in the Exchange and Medicaid. Using a web portal,…

  • Reaching for the Stars: Quality Ratings of Medicare Advantage Plans, 2011

    Issue Brief

    New: Medicare Advantage Plan Star Ratings and Bonus Payments in 2012 In 2012, Medicare Advantage plans will be awarded additional payments based on their quality ratings as a result of the 2010 health reform law. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed a demonstration that would modify the quality-based payments for plans, providing additional payments for 2012 to 2014. This policy brief by the Kaiser Family Foundation examines the quality ratings of private…

  • Public Reporting of Quality Outcomes: What’s the Best Path Forward?

    Event Date:
    Event

    The Affordable Care Act aims to promote higher quality care in part by rewarding – and eventually requiring – the reporting of certain quality measures. Previous efforts suggest that public reporting can add significant value. Yet there are concerns about the best way to measure outcomes and quality, the possible unintended effects of public reporting, and whether purchasers and consumers actually use the information to make choices. Panelists at this April 27 briefing co-sponsored by…