The rates, pricing and other data for 2026 Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance plans were publicly posted on the federal Healthcare.gov marketplace on Wednesday, just three days ahead of the start of open enrollment.
The health research nonprofit KFF said the average increase in premiums for ACA plans will be 26 percent next year, based on data for “benchmark” silver plans, which are the midtier plans in each region that most people purchase and are used to set the subsidy amounts.
But KFF found the amount that people pay for coverage is set to rise 114 percent on average because Congress has not extended the enhanced tax credits that help people afford insurance plans. Democrats have leaned heavily on expanding the subsidies as part of their challenge to the GOP-led continuing resolution that would reopen the government after funding lapsed nearly a month ago.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said in a press release late Tuesday that enrollees “continue to have robust access to low premium plans after applying advance payments of the premium tax credit.”
CMS noted that most enrollees using Healthcare.gov will be able to get bronze plans that will cost them no more than $50 a month next year after subsidies.
More than 90 percent of enrollees will still receive some financial help even if the enhanced subsidies expire at the end of the year. But those tax credits could mean the difference between affording a silver plan with low deductibles or the lowest-cost bronze plan with a deductible that could be thousands of dollars more.
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that about 3.5 million fewer people will have health coverage in 2027 if the enhanced subsidies expire.
