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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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  • What Do We Know About People with High Out-of-Pocket Spending?

    Feature

    Based on an analysis of claims data, this slideshow examines overall trends, gender and age of high out-of-pocket spenders in large employer health plans, as well as differences in out-of-pocket health expenditures across diseases.

  • Web Briefing for Journalists: Marketplace Open Enrollment in the Trump Era

    Event Date:
    Event

    With the Trump administration’s announcements last week, the landscape around Affordable Care Act marketplaces and the open enrollment period beginning Nov. 1 continues to shift. Though the 2010 health law remains intact for now, consumers will see fundamental differences this year when it comes to signing up for 2018 marketplace plans.

  • Individual Mandate Penalty Calculator

    Interactive

    The Individual Mandate Penalty Calculator estimates your penalty for going uninsured vs. how much you would pay for health insurance coverage on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces.

  • The Biggest Health Issue We Aren’t Debating

    From Drew Altman

    In an Axios column, Drew Altman raises a health care issue that isn’t being debated, a large share of the public don’t have the assets to cover the cost sharing in their health plan if they get sick.

  • ACA Mandate Repeal May Be Less Popular Than GOP Thinks

    From Drew Altman

    In this Axios column, Drew Altman discusses how public opinion seems to flip on eliminating the individual mandate as part of the tax legislation, from for it to against, when the public considers the consequences.

  • Who can still sign up for 2018 coverage after December 15?

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet highlights the states and situations where consumers can still sign up for a 2018 marketplace plan even though the Dec. 15 deadline for enrolling in healthcare.gov states has passed. It includes consumers in states who have extended open enrollment periods, people whose 2017 plan was discontinued, and people who live in or moved from counties affected by this year's major hurricanes.

  • High-Risk Pools as Fallback for High-Cost Patients Require New Rules

    From Drew Altman

    In this Wall Street Journal Think Tank column, Drew Altman examines how Republicans would “split the risk pools” between the healthier and the sick in their Affordable Care Act replacement plans, using state high risk pools as a fallback for higher cost patients, and examines the steps that would be necessary to make them effective based on prior experience in the states.