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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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  • What is a self-funded/self-insured plan? How do I know if I have one?

    FAQs

    Many employers, especially large ones, offer workers health coverage that is known as a “self-funded” (also referred to as “self-insured”) arrangement, which is where the employer pays enrollees’ medical claims directly, as opposed to traditional health insurance (known as fully-insured), where the employer buys coverage from a state-regulated insurance company. Most companies with a self-funded plan contract with a health insurance company to pay the medical claims and provide enrollees access to the insurance company’s…

  • My company provides funds for workers to buy health insurance on their own instead of providing health insurance through the company. Can I still qualify for premium tax credits to buy a Marketplace plan?

    FAQs

    Employees who receive funds to buy health insurance on the individual market can sometimes still qualify for premium tax credits, depending on the type of health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) their employer offers and its affordability to you: Employers with fewer than 50 workers may offer what’s known as a Qualified Small Employer HRA. If your employer offers this type of coverage arrangement and it is considered “affordable” based on your household income, you will not…

  • 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.

  • ¿Qué es un plan de salud para estudiantes?

    FAQs

    Un plan de salud estudiantil es un tipo especial de cobertura médica que las universidades ofrecen a sus estudiantes matriculados. Normalmente, un plan de salud estudiantil es diferente de la cobertura patrocinada por el empleador que las universidades ofrecen a su plantel de profesores y a su personal.

  • ¿Cómo puedo proteger mi información personal al inscribirme en la cobertura del mercado a través de un sitio web que no pertenece al mercado?

    FAQs

    Aquí tiene algunos consejos para proteger su información personal si decide inscribirse en el mercado de seguros a través de un sitio web externo: Tenga cuidado con las técnicas de venta que lo presionan para tomar decisiones rápidas. Utilice esta herramienta cuidadodesalud.gov para encontrar sitios web de socios de inscripción certificados y aprobados por el mercado de seguros. Tenga cuidado al interactuar con anuncios que ofrecen dinero en efectivo, regalos u otros beneficios. La información…

  • Trabajo con una visa H-2A. ¿Tengo derecho a cobertura en el mercado de seguros?

    FAQs

    Sí. Los inmigrantes con residencia legal que, de otro modo, serían elegibles para cobertura médica, incluyendo a los "no inmigrantes", como los trabajadores con visa H-2A y aquellos con visas de estudiante, pueden adquirir cobertura en los mercados de seguros. Quienes tengan bajos ingresos y sean elegibles también podrían recibir asistencia con las primas y reducciones en los costos compartidos para reducir el costo de la cobertura. Sin embargo, DACA ya no se considera un…

  • No sé cuánto tiempo hace que terminó mi Medicaid. ¿Hay una fecha límite para solicitar la cobertura del mercado?

    FAQs

    Sí, el período especial de inscripción por pérdida de Medicaid o CHIP es de 90 días en la mayoría de los estados. Esto significa que los consumidores tendrán hasta 90 días después de la pérdida de Medicaid o CHIP para inscribirse en el mercado de seguros. Si no solicita la cobertura del mercado dentro de este plazo, podría tener que esperar hasta el próximo período de inscripción abierta para hacerlo. Los estados que administran sus…

  • ¿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…