Private Insurance

Health Care Affordability

BTD Health Policy in 2026

Health Policy in 2026

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

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  • Premiums and Worker Contributions Among Workers Covered by Employer-Sponsored Coverage, 1999-2020

    Interactive

    This graphing tool allows users to explore trends in workplace-sponsored health insurance premiums and worker contributions over time for different categories of employers based on results from the annual Employer Health Benefits Survey. Breakouts are available by firm size, region and industry, as well as for firms with relatively few or many part-time workers, higher- or lower-wage workers, and older or younger workers.

  • Affordability in the ACA Marketplace Under a Proposal Like Joe Biden’s Health Plan

    Issue Brief

    This KFF analysis finds that expanding Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies like Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has proposed would lower the cost of Marketplace coverage for nearly all potential enrollees, including the uninsured and others currently priced out of the Marketplace. Biden's plan would, however, increase federal spending, which we do not attempt to estimate here.

  • Pre-existing Conditions: What Are They and How Many People Have Them?

    Policy Watch

    Facing a challenge now before the Supreme Court, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) included provisions to protect people with pre-existing conditions from discrimination in the individual employment market. This post explains what pre-existing conditions are and the different estimates for the number of people who have them.

  • Standardized Plans in the Health Care Marketplace: Changing Requirements

    Issue Brief

    This brief examines the evolving requirements for insurers on HealthCare.gov to offer standardized plans that follow set cost sharing rules for covered benefits in addition to other plans they might offer. It also reviews how some state-run marketplaces have used standardized plans to limit cost sharing for insulin, mental health care, and other services.

  • 2024 Medical Loss Ratio Rebates

    Issue Brief

    Insurers estimate they will pay $1.1 billion in Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) rebates in 2024 to select individuals and employers that purchase their health coverage, according to a KFF analysis of preliminary data reported to state regulators. The estimated rebate for 2024 is larger than rebates issued in most prior years. Nearly $12 billion in rebates have been issued since 2012.

  • Private Insurers Expect to Pay $1.1 Billion in Rebates This Year for Setting Premiums Too High Relative to Medical Costs

    News Release

    Private insurance companies are expecting to pay out about $1.1 billion in rebates this fall under an Affordable Care Act (ACA) provision that requires insurers to spend the bulk of customers’ premium payments on care, a new KFF analysis finds. Rebates are based on insurers’ experiences over the previous three years. This year’s estimated total is similar to the $1 billion paid out last year, but well short of the $2.5 billion record total paid…

  • Ten Changes to Watch in Open Enrollment 2022

    Issue Brief

    Even as the ninth annual Open Enrollment period gets underway, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces continue to evolve and important changes are expected. This issue brief discusses what changes to watch out for in the coming enrollment period.