ACA Premiums Rising 13% in 2026, Hitting Higher Earners Hard
Health insurance premiums on ACA marketplaces will climb 13% next year, with subsidies shielding some but not those earning above $64,000.
Premiums on Affordable Care Act marketplace plans are set to rise 13 percent for the coming year, delivering another financial hit to Americans who purchase coverage through the law's exchanges, according to new figures reported by The New York Times.
Federal subsidies will blunt much of the cost increase for lower- and middle-income enrollees, who remain protected by income-based assistance tied to benchmark plan prices. However, consumers whose annual earnings exceed roughly $64,000 fall outside that cushion and will absorb the full weight of the premium hike directly out of pocket.
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The increase compounds what was already a difficult year for many ACA enrollees. Customers above the subsidy threshold were already contending with significant premium growth in the current plan year, meaning back-to-back double-digit increases are piling pressure on a segment of the individual market that has few alternatives to marketplace coverage.
The successive price surges raise broader questions about affordability and the long-term stability of the individual insurance market, particularly for the self-employed, early retirees, and workers whose employers do not offer group health benefits — populations that lean heavily on ACA exchanges as their primary coverage option.
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