Written by the getCoverageNow Team
Sourced from Healthcare.gov, Medicaid.gov & CMS.gov • Updated July 2026
If you went to renew or shop for an ACA Marketplace plan this year and the price shocked you, you're not alone, and it's not a mistake on your end. Something real changed. Here's exactly what happened, sourced from KFF's 2026 Marketplace tracking and the Congressional Research Service.
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What Actually Changed
Starting in 2021, Congress temporarily boosted ACA premium tax credits, making coverage dramatically cheaper for millions of people — that enhancement was extended multiple times but was allowed to expire at the end of 2025. Congress has not renewed it as of this writing. The original, smaller ACA subsidy structure from 2010 is still in place, but the extra generosity many people got used to over the past several years is gone for now.
The Real Numbers
According to KFF's tracking, the average monthly premium payment among subsidized enrollees (after whatever tax credit they still qualify for) rose about 58%, from roughly $113 to $178. For people who kept the exact same plan rather than shopping around, the increase was steeper still — KFF had projected increases averaging over 100% for that group before the expiration took effect. Deductibles also rose, by about $1,000 per person on average, as more people shifted toward higher-deductible plans to manage the higher premiums.
What This Means for Your Decision Right Now
- Don't assume you lost your subsidy entirely. Most people who qualified before still qualify for something — it's just smaller. Run your actual numbers at Healthcare.gov rather than guessing.
- Shop around instead of auto-renewing. Enrollees who actively compared plans this year generally fared better than those who let their old plan auto-renew at the new price.
- Check if you now qualify for Medicaid instead. If your income is lower this year, or if the new post-subsidy price pushes a Marketplace plan out of reach, it's worth checking Medicaid eligibility directly — see our Medicaid 101 guide.
- Check if your state fills the gap. A small number of states have introduced their own subsidies to offset the federal change — check your state's own marketplace site if you have one.
Could This Change Again?
Possibly, but not immediately. Following the November 2026 midterm elections, Democrats won control of both the House and Senate, and have named restoring the enhanced subsidies as a priority — building on a three-year extension bill the House had already passed in January 2026 that the Senate didn't take up. But any new legislation still requires the president's signature or a veto-proof majority, and the new Congress isn't sworn in until January 2027. For the Open Enrollment Period happening right now (through January 15, 2027), the reduced subsidy amounts described above are what's actually in effect. We'll update this guide if that changes.