Higher health care costs and new federal policy changes, including inaction on extending critical premium tax credits for consumers, could lead to higher premium costs for millions of Americans, according to a new analysis from KFF highlighted by and .
Health plans are doing everything in their power to shield consumers from the rising costs of care and the uncertainty in the market driven by recent policy changes. It is more important than ever that policymakers take action to extend the health care tax credits to prevent skyrocketing cost increases for millions of Americans in 2026.
WSJ spotlights the cost impact for consumers purchasing coverage in the individual market, noting that 鈥�higher ACA premiums would hit consumers including Clare Forry, a 40-year-old resident of Arlington Heights, Ill... If her monthly payment rose above $700 next year, the cost would be 鈥榩retty hard to grasp,鈥� said Forry, a retail-industry manager. 鈥楾hat鈥檚 some people鈥檚 mortgage payments.鈥欌��
Additional WSJ highlights include:
- 鈥�Most Obamacare enrollees鈥� monthly insurance bills will go up substantially next year because of reductions in federal subsidies that help pay for their coverage. Enhanced payments passed by Congress in 2021 will lapse at the end of December. The drop-off in subsidies is both helping to drive higher premiums and making it harder for many consumers to pay them.鈥�
- 鈥淪ome people 鈥�are going to be hit with this double whammy鈥� of bigger monthly insurance bills and losing the subsidy that blunts their cost, said Cynthia Cox, a vice president at KFF.鈥�
- 鈥淎lso pushing up premiums: Enrollment in the ACA marketplaces is expected to drop by millions next year because of the shrinking subsidies, as well as new rules that tighten sign-up requirements. When enrollment falls, the people who stay in the plans tend to be the ones who are less healthy and have higher claims costs on average, according to actuaries and insurers.鈥�
Congress can take immediate action to address this affordability crisis for millions of consumers by extending the premium tax credits before September 30.
- 鈥淏ut if Congress doesn't extend enhanced subsidies for people making more than 400% of the federal poverty level, middle-income ACA enrollees could feel an average surge of 75% in monthly coverage costs from this year to next,鈥� Axios reports.
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