Overview
- About a dozen state marketplaces have posted 2026 plan prices, with examples showing large out-of-pocket increases such as roughly $16,100 more a year for a Maine family of four earning $130,000 and about $23,700 more for a 60-year-old Kentucky couple making $85,000.
- Insurer filings point to a median 18% rise in gross premiums next year, and analysts say many consumers would face far larger household costs if enhanced credits lapse at year’s end.
- Independent estimates project that roughly 3 million to nearly 5 million people could lose coverage, with the largest uninsurance increases among young adults, Black non-Hispanic people, and those between 250% and 400% of the federal poverty level.
- Community health centers and local providers report bracing for financial strain, including expected employee premium hikes near 40% and more uncompensated care if enrollment drops.
- Congress remains deadlocked as open enrollment begins November 1, with Democrats pressing to extend the enhanced credits, Republican leaders resisting negotiations during the shutdown, and some lawmakers floating temporary or targeted extensions such as a 2027 phase-out.