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The ACA MarketplaceS

Change in February effectuated enrollment, by state, 2025-2026

How Has ACA Marketplace Enrollment Changed Across States in 2026?

ACA Marketplace enrollment fell this year in every state except New Mexico, which was the only state to fully replace the enhanced premium tax credits that expired last year with a state-funded subsidy, according to a new KFF analysis of effectuated enrollment data. The Marketplace enrollment decline—the first in seven years—follows several years of rapid enrollment growth and coincides with the end of the enhanced federal subsidies.

How Much and Why ACA Marketplace Premiums Are Going Up in 2027

ACA Marketplaces insurers are proposing a median premium increase of 15% in 2027, according to KFF’s updated analysis of 276 insurers with publicly available filings across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This is the second consecutive year of double-digit premium hikes. Last year’s median nationwide proposed rate change was 18%, and the median finalized rate change was 20%. While this proposed rate change is lower than last year, it represents the second-highest requested rate change since 2018, as premium growth had been relatively flat in this market for several years.

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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  • 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…

  • ¿Cómo aplico para recibir los subsidios para ayudarme a pagar las primas?

    FAQs

    Comience completando la solicitud de cobertura en línea en cuidadodesalud.gov. Esto podría ser más rápido, aunque también puede enviarla mediante una solicitud impresa por correo postal o llamando al centro de atención telefónica del mercado y solicitando por teléfono. Solicitar en línea es probablemente la opción más rápida. Para solicitar en línea, deberá crear una cuenta personal segura con un nombre de usuario y una contraseña. Haga clic aquí para obtener información sobre cómo configurar…

  • Which lawfully present immigrants qualify for Marketplace coverage?

    FAQs

    Lawfully present immigrants generally include: lawful permanent residents (or “green card holders”); persons fleeing persecution, including refugees and asylees; other humanitarian immigrants, including those granted temporary protected status; Cuban/Haitian entrants; survivors of domestic violence, trafficking, and other serious crimes; and persons with valid non-immigrant visas, such as work or student visas. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are no longer eligible for ACA Marketplace coverage. For a list of qualified immigration statuses for the…

  • I have been trying to get pregnant. Do Marketplace plans cover infertility services?

    FAQs

    The ACA does not require health plans to cover infertility services; however, some states require certain plans to cover certain infertility services. If you need these services and are shopping for coverage, check the plan details or your state insurance department about coverage and out-of-pocket costs for infertility care.

  • Who can buy a Catastrophic Plan?

    FAQs

    In general, Catastrophic plans may only be sold to young adults under the age of 30. However, there are certain financial hardship and affordability exemptions for people ages 30 and older, including if there is no qualified health plan offered on or off the Marketplace that would cost less than 8.05% of their income in 2026, or if they are not eligible for premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions based on their projected annual income.…

  • What is a Catastrophic health plan?

    FAQs

    A “Catastrophic plan” is a qualified health plan offered on or off the Marketplace that covers the “essential health benefits.” While Catastrophic plans have lower premiums than other qualified health plans, they also have the highest level of cost sharing allowable for an ACA-compliant plan. For 2026, the annual deductible for covered services in a Catastrophic plan is $10,600 for an individual or $21,200 for a family. The plan does not have to cover more…

  • I’m a young adult and I need health insurance. What are my coverage options?

    FAQs

    A number of options may be available to you: If your annual income is $21,597 or less in 2026 (138% federal poverty level for a single adult), you may qualify for Medicaid coverage. Not all states have elected to expand Medicaid eligibility to this income level. Check with a navigator or another type of assister using Find Local Help, or check with your state Marketplace to learn more about Medicaid eligibility in your state.  If…

  • I’m low-income and currently enrolled in subsidized Marketplace coverage. I just found out I’m pregnant. Under my state’s rules, I now qualify for Medicaid. Do I have to drop out of the Marketplace cove...

    FAQs

    In nearly all states, pregnancy-related Medicaid provides the same (or similar) benefits as Medicaid for other adults and so is considered minimum essential coverage (MEC). In general, people who are eligible for other MEC are not eligible for advance premium tax credits (APTC). However, a special rule allows people who are already receiving APTC and who become pregnant and eligible for pregnancy-related Medicaid to choose whether to stay in their Marketplace plan with APTC or…

  • I’m a young adult, newly independent from my parents, and I have never filed my own federal income tax return before. Can I apply for premium tax credits this year? Will that pose any problems?

    FAQs

    Yes, you can apply for premium tax credits this year. One challenge you may encounter is verifying your income. The Marketplace verifies an applicant's estimated income in real time during the application process, using IRS data from recent federal income tax returns, and sometimes other data sources. However, since you have never filed a tax return, the Marketplace must accept your self-attestation of projected annual income.

  • Tengo cerca de 60 años y me inscribí en un plan del mercado para tener cobertura de seguro de salud hasta que cumpla los requisitos para Medicare a los 65. ¿Qué sucede cuando me inscribo en Medicare?

    FAQs

    Cuando cumpla 65 años, debe inscribirse en Medicare y notificar a su plan del mercado que ahora califica para la cobertura de Medicare. Su cobertura del mercado no se cancelará automáticamente cuando cumpla 65 años y se registre en Medicare, pero si recibe subsidios para ayudarlo a pagar su prima del plan de mercado, su elegibilidad para estos créditos fiscales terminará cuando comience su parte A de Medicare (las personas con Medicare no son elegibles…