Overview
- ACA marketplace premiums are rising roughly 26–30% for 2026, with employer plans projected to climb about 9%, according to insurer filings and surveys.
- The enhanced premium tax credits expire Dec. 31 without a deal, which analysts say would more than double average out‑of‑pocket premiums for many enrollees and push costs far higher in local examples.
- The Congressional Budget Office estimates roughly 4 million more people would be uninsured over time if the enhanced subsidies lapse.
- Marketplaces say they can rapidly restore reduced prices and reopen enrollment if Congress renews the credits later, though insurer repricing and communication would be challenging and navigator funding was cut.
- Consumers face Dec. 15 and Jan. 15 deadlines as they comparison‑shop through steep increases driven by medical inflation and pricey drugs, with younger adults, gig workers, older customers and middle‑class families among those most exposed.