(José Niño, Headline USA) Americans buying health insurance through Affordable Care Act marketplaces face another substantial price increase in 2027, compounding the strain that has already prompted millions to leave individual coverage.
In an October 30 New York Times report, Reed Abelson and Margot Sanger Katz described households struggling with rising medical costs and the expiration of enhanced federal premium assistance.
A KFF analysis found that finalized benchmark silver premiums will increase by an average of 13 percent nationally. That measure does not represent every plan or every customer’s payment. Federal subsidies will absorb much of the increase for eligible households, while people without assistance must shoulder the full premium.
Kate and Mark Dwyer, who live in rural Oregon, told the New York Times they had already moved to the least expensive available plan. Their cheapest option for 2027 would cost nearly $3,000 monthly, an increase exceeding $500.
“We are looking at going without next year,” Ms. Dwyer said. “There is no middle ground. It’s either $3,000 or nothing.”
The sharpest pressure falls on people who lost assistance after the enhanced tax credits expired. Under the restored eligibility ceiling, households earning more than 400 percent of the federal poverty level generally receive no federal premium tax credit.
“This is a really small number of people,” KFF’s Cynthia Cox told the New York Times. “But these people are getting hit the hardest by rising health care costs, and they don’t get any help.” She estimated that the cheapest bronze plan would average approximately $700 monthly for a single 50-year-old.
The increases extend beyond Obamacare. Benefits consultant Aon projects employer health costs will rise 9.5 percent in 2027 before cost containment measures. Its analysis points to greater use of expensive treatments, specialty prescriptions, higher provider prices, and billing changes.
Caroline Pearson of the Peterson Center on Healthcare described the marketplace increase as “consistent with the rate increases we are expecting” for employers and their workers. Unlike unsubsidized marketplace customers, however, most employees receive substantial help from their employers.
The Trump administration sent many marketplace customers $500 payments in October, the New York Times reported.
KFF recorded 19.2 million paying marketplace enrollees in February 2026, down 2.6 million from a year earlier. Broader individual market enrollment, including coverage purchased outside the exchanges, fell by more than 4.6 million by June.
Administration officials attribute some losses to efforts against fraudulent broker enrollment. KFF reported approximately 760,000 cancellations, while noting that some people subsequently regained coverage, suggesting the screening also identified legitimate customers. Separately, the New York Times cited a Commonwealth Fund survey showing an increase in uninsured working age adults.
Consumers also face higher costs when they need care. The New York Times reported that average ACA deductibles approached $4,000 in 2026, leaving some households with little room to save by choosing less comprehensive coverage.
“We really do encourage people to shop and compare,” Families USA executive director Anthony Wright told the New York Times.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
