Affordable Care Act Insurance Could Cost 75% More Next Year 

Americans insured under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are facing a substantial increase in their monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs next year as a result of the spending bill President Trump signed into law earlier this month.  

According to NBC News, a study from health policy research group KFF found insurance companies are looking to raise premiums by an average of 15% in 2026 — the largest increase in five years. The findings come from an analysis of filings placed by over 100 insurers across 19 states. 

Further adding to the price increases is the fact that several ACA subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year. The subsidies were implemented during the pandemic to allow more people to receive affordable healthcare through the ACA. 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act extended those subsidies through 2025, but Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which he signed into law earlier this month, doesn’t continue them. 

As a result, four million people are expected to be priced out of coverage through the ACA. With fewer people paying for coverage, insurance companies are expected to raise costs to make up the difference. There’s also growing concern that Trump will follow through on his threat to place tariffs on pharmaceuticals, which would only further increase healthcare costs.

On top of increasing prices, the law adds more paperwork requirements for people looking to renew their existing plans, rather than the automatic renewal process currently in place. Furthermore, the open enrollment window has been shortened to only a month. 

Basically, the Republican party did everything in its power to wipe away all the healthcare gains the ACA provided over the last 15 years. 

From NBC News:

According to KFF’s latest analysis, most ACA insurers are proposing premium increases of 10% to 20% for 2026. More than a quarter, the group said, are proposing premium increases of 20% or more.

What people actually end up paying out of pocket for their monthly premiums could increase, on average, by more than 75%, Larry Levitt, the executive vice president for health policy at KFF, said on a call with reporters last week.

A family of three earning $110,000 a year and enrolled in a silver ACA plan — which usually comes with moderate monthly premiums — could see their monthly cost jump from $779 this year to $1,446 in 2026 when the enhanced subsidies expire, according to KFF. If insurers raise premiums by 15%, the monthly bill could climb even higher, to $1,662.

“This is not a repeal [of the ACA], but it’s certainly an attempt to move in that direction,” Edwin Park, a research professor at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy, told NBC News. “It’ll be much more costly, so that means it’ll be less affordable for you to purchase a plan or renew your coverage.”

Ending the ACA has long been a desire for President Trump. Despite these changes potentially harming millions of Americans, including many of his own voters, Trump cares more about destroying the legacy of his predecessors than doing what’s best for American citizens. While these moves aren’t outright ending the ACA, they’re more or less destroying the intent of the program. 

I mean, for God’s sake, it’s in the name. The Affordable Care Act is supposed to be affordable. 

American healthcare is already absurdly expensive, and instead of finding ways to alleviate that, Trump and the GOP have only made the problem worse. These changes will undoubtedly lead to worse healthcare outcomes and place undue financial strain on millions of Americans. Are we feeling great again, yet? 

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Trump’s Latest Obamacare Threat Puts Lives At Risk