Affordable Care Act

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) projected that average premiums on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces would rise by 26% for the 2026 plan year, which KFF described as the largest rate increase since 2018.

As of 2025, approximately 24 million people were enrolled through Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance exchanges.

Premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollees can be applied on a monthly basis to reduce out‑of‑pocket premium costs.

Expanded federal subsidies introduced during the COVID‑19 pandemic reduced premiums for enrollees in Affordable Care Act marketplaces.

Enhanced premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were scheduled to expire in 2025.

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are tax-advantaged accounts that can be used to hold funds for consumers to pay qualified medical expenses and have been proposed as a mechanism to deliver healthcare subsidy funds directly to consumers instead of sending those funds to insurers.

Enhanced tax credits implemented starting in 2021 have helped millions of people enrolled in Affordable Care Act plans reduce their plan costs.

Republican efforts to repeal or dismantle the Affordable Care Act during President Donald Trump’s first term failed and have been linked to Republican losses in the 2018 U.S. midterm elections.

The baseline premium tax credits in the Affordable Care Act were originally limited to households with incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty level.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, temporary premium tax credits expanded eligibility above 400% of the federal poverty level, allowing middle- and higher-income households to receive subsidies.

When premium tax credits fully cover plan costs, some enrollees in Affordable Care Act marketplaces can have zero-premium plans, particularly enrollees with lower incomes.