No matter what lawmakers ultimately decide about healthcare tax credits, many Americans could be paying considerably more for health insurance next year.
Health insurance costs for people who utilize the Affordable Care Act are set to spike significantly in 2026, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), an independent, nonpartisan health policy organization. The average cost of ACA-backed coverage will rise 26%, the group says.
If your state strictly uses Healthcare.gov for ACA (or, as it's colloquially known, Obamacare) insurance options, you're likely looking at an even higher potential price increase, with KFF saying the average jump will be 30%. States that have their own Marketplaces will see a 17% rise.
The numbers are based on an examination of the average benchmark silver premium, which is the second-lowest priced option.
The increases KFF is highlighting do not take into account the possible expiration of the ACA's enhanced premium tax credits, which is at the heart of the ongoing government shutdown. Democrats want to continue to offer those after they expire at the end of 2025. Many Republicans oppose doing so.
Should those not be renewed, 22 million of 24 million people on the marketplace will pay considerably more than the increases highlighted by the KFF. The group estimates premium payments would more than double, with a 114% increase. If Congress extends the enhanced tax credits, however, subsidized enrollees will pay roughly the same as they do now, says the KFF.
The increase in insurance costs is due to a number of factors, ranging from higher hospital costs to tariffs to the increased popularity of weight-loss drugs.