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BTD Health Policy in 2026

Health Policy in 2026

In a new column, President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman forecasts eight things to look for in health policy in 2026. “First and foremost,” he writes, “is the role health care affordability will play in the midterms.” And, he notes: “The average cost of a family policy for employers could approach $30,000 and cost sharing and deductibles will rise again after plateauing for several years.”

View all of Drew’s Beyond the Data Columns

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.

Explaining Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs)

Examining Short-Term Limited-Duration Health Plans

Health Savings Account Provisions in the 2025 Tax and Spending Law

Consumer Experiences with Health Insurance

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  • The Cost of the Individual Mandate Penalty for the Remaining Uninsured

    Issue Brief

    This analysis provides estimates of the share of uninsured people eligible to enroll in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces who will be subject to the individual mandate penalty, and how those penalties are increasing for 2016. It also provides estimates of the number of people who could have a zero-dollar contribution or pay less for health insurance than the penalty, due to premium subsidies, and the number of people who would pay more for a health plan than for their penalty.

  • Children’s Coverage: What Matters Most to Parents Results from Focus Groups in 6 Cities

    Issue Brief

    This report is based on based on focus group discussions with parents with moderate incomes enrolled in private coverage (employer sponsored or Marketplace) who had children in public coverage (primarily CHIP) or children with private coverage. This report is based on 14 focus group discussions conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and John Snow, Inc. in six cities during February and March 2015. Sites included Birmingham, AL, Chicago, IL, Denver, CO, Philadelphia, PA, and Tampa, FL. Each of these states operate separate CHIP programs. An additional 4 focus groups were conducted in Los Angeles, CA (two in English and two in Spanish). The purpose of the groups was to gain insight into what low and middle-income families value in their children’s coverage, their experiences with CHIP and private insurance, and on parents’ perspectives on the future of CHIP. The information gathered can help inform policy questions such as would private coverage (either employer sponsored coverage or Marketplace) or Medicaid work for children who currently are enrolled in CHIP?

  • Premiums for Employer-Sponsored Family Health Coverage Rise 5% to Average $19,616; Single Premiums Rise 3% to $6,896  

    News Release

    1 in 5 Large Employers Gather Data from Workers’ Mobile Apps, FitBits or Other Wearable Devices San Francisco, Calif. – Annual family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose 5 percent to average $19,616 this year, extending a seven-year run of moderate increases, finds the 2018 benchmark Kaiser Family Foundation Employer Health Benefits Survey released today.

  • Web Briefing for Media: 2018 Employer Health Benefits Survey

    Event Date:
    Event

    The Kaiser Family Foundation held a reporters-only web briefing on Oct. 3, 2018, to release the 2018 benchmark Employer Health Benefits Survey. This 20th annual survey provides a detailed look at the current state of employer-based coverage and trends in private health insurance for both large and small firms.

  • Mapping Pre-existing Conditions across the U.S.

    Issue Brief

    This brief estimates the share of adults with pre-existing conditions by metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area (MMSA), and finds that in some areas, nearly four in ten have so-called declinable medical conditions that could lead to denials of individual insurance coverage based on pre-ACA underwriting guidelines.

  • Comparison of Consumer Protections in Three Health Insurance Markets: Medicare Advantage, Qualified Health Plans and Medicaid Managed Care Organizations

    Report

    This report examines similarities and differences in federal consumer protection standards for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, Qualified Health Plans (QHPs), and Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs). It focuses on rules established at the federal level, though some states have chosen to go above the federal minimums and impose additional requirements for QHPs and Medicaid MCOs.

  • The Health-Care Enrollment Story Is in the States

    News Release

    In his latest column for The Wall Street Journal's Think Tank, Drew Altman examines the variation among states beneath the national Affordable Care Act’s Marketplace enrollment numbers released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. All previous columns by Drew Altman are available online.

  • Recent Premium Increases Imposed by Insurers Averaged 20% for People Who Buy Their Own Health Insurance, Kaiser Survey Finds

    News Release

    Facing Such Increases, Some Enrollees Switched To Lower-Cost Coverage People With Pre-Existing Conditions Much More Likely To Report Problems MENLO PARK, CA -- People who buy their own insurance report that their insurers most recently requested premium increases averaging 20 percent, according to a new Kaiser survey examining the experiences and views of people who…