Home Topics

Private Insurance

New and Noteworthy

How Much and Why ACA Marketplace Premiums Are Going Up in 2026

A new analysis of initial rate filings for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans submitted by 312 insurers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia finds the median proposed increase for 2026 is 18%, more than double last year’s 7% median proposed increase. The proposed rates are preliminary and could change before being finalized in late summer. In addition to rising cost and utilization of services, insurers cited the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits as a significant factor in their rate hikes for next year.

Quick Take

Tariffs Are Driving 2026 Health Insurance Premiums Up

2025 Reconciliation Bill

Health Savings Account Provisions in the 2025 Tax and Spending Law

analysis

Health Insurer Financial Performance in 2023

Survey

Consumer Experiences with Health Insurance

Employer Coverage

Employer Family Premiums Climb to $25,572 in 2024, Survey Finds

Family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose 7% in 2024, matching the 2023 increase, KFF's benchmark Employer Health Benefits Survey finds. Over the previous five years, the cumulative increase in premiums has been similar to the rise in general inflation and workers' wages. The survey also examines deductibles and other cost-sharing, coverage of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, and more.

Read the News Release

How Affordability of Employer Coverage Varies by Family Income

Expansions to HSAs in House Budget Reconciliation

Higher Premiums Persist, Employer Strategies For GLP-1

Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs

Latest News

More KFF Health News

Subscribe to KFF Emails

Choose which emails are best for you.
Sign up here

View the Latest: Private Insurance

Filter

List Grid

1 - 10 of 864 Results

  • The Semi-Sad State of Consumer Protection In Health Care

    From Drew Altman

    In this column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman explores the state of consumer protections in health care and explains why, even with consumer frustration clear, Congress is unlikely to pursue major new health insurance protections but there could be some modest steps.

  • Insurance Coverage of OTC Oral Contraceptives: Lessons from the Field

    Report

    This report is based on 35 structured interviews conducted from January to August 2023, with nearly 80 experts and key players such as pharmacists, health plans, and state Medicaid officials involved in the coverage and provision of OTC contraception in seven states with one or more of these coverage approaches (IL, NJ, NM, NY, OR, UT, and WA). It discusses the challenges and successes in coverage under private health insurance and Medicaid and reviews policy options for operationalizing insurance coverage of non-prescribed OTC contraception such as Opill.

  • Over-the-Counter Oral Contraceptive Pills

    Issue Brief

    Oral contraceptives are the most commonly used method of reversible contraception in the U.S. In July 2023, the FDA approved Opill, the first daily oral contraceptive pill to become available over the counter (OTC) without a doctor’s prescription. This issue brief provides an overview of OTC oral contraceptives and laws and policies related to insurance coverage.

  • How Have Costs Associated With Obesity Changed Over Time?

    Issue Brief

    This analysis finds that, among people with large employer health plans, those with an obesity diagnosis on average have higher total and out-of-pocket spending than those without an obesity diagnosis. It also examines the cost of common surgical and pharmacological treatments for obesity. 

  • Health Insurer Financial Performance in 2023

    Issue Brief

    Using health insurer financial data for 2023, we find that in 2023, per enrollee gross margins were highest in the Medicare Advantage market, and medical loss ratios were lowest in the individual insurance market. Across most markets, gross margins have been relatively stable in recent years.

  • Supreme Court Decision Limiting the Authority of Federal Agencies Could Have Far-Reaching Impacts for Health Policy

    Issue Brief

    On June 28, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a longstanding legal precedent that required federal courts to defer to reasonable agency interpretation when statutes are ambiguous. The decision will shift many policy decisions from federal agencies to federal judges, with implications for health policy that will reverberate for years to come. This issue brief examines the decision and assesses what’s ahead.