Washington, D.C. — A new analysis from KFF shows that insurance companies are locking in drastic Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium hikes for 2026, with 24 million Americans facing an average increase of 15%. These skyrocketing costs are a direct consequence of Donald Trump and Republicans’ tax bill, which made the largest cuts to health care in history to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. The new reality is already setting in: while insurance companies jack up prices, Republicans have also ripped away tax credits from middle-class families, forcing them to pay up to an average of 75% more.
In response, Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse issued a statement:
“Donald Trump and Republicans handed a massive tax break to billionaires and paid for it by ripping over $1 trillion out of our health care system. Now hard-working families are stuck with the bill. Premiums are soaring, uninsured rates are growing, hospitals are closing and millions are being forced to choose between affording care or covering rent. But this was no accident. It was the plan: decimate American health care to line the pockets of the rich, and leave working families to suffer the consequences. The fallout is now hitting working families hard, as premium costs are driven to new heights.”
HEADLINES
CNN: ACA Insurers Propose Biggest Premium Hikes Since 2018 as Trump Policies Take Hold
NPR: ACA Health Insurance Will Cost the Average Person 75% More Next Year, Research Shows
CBS: Millions Could Face Higher ACA Premiums, Lower Subsidies: “There Will Be Sticker Shock”
Forbes: Trump’s Budget And Tariffs Fuel 15% Hike In Health Insurance Premiums
Vox: Your Health Insurance Premiums Could Soon Go Up 15 Percent — Or More
Reuters: U.S. Health Insurers Seek Largest Jump in Obamacare Premiums Since 2018, Study Shows
KFF Health News: Insurers and Customers Brace for Double Whammy to Obamacare Premiums
NBC News: Cost of Obamacare Expected to Soar as Subsidies Expire and Insurers Hike Premiums
Wall Street Journal: Obamacare Insurers Seek Double-Digit Premium Hikes Next Year
Axios: ACA Insurers Plan Biggest Rate Hikes in Eight Years
Modern Healthcare: Exchange Premiums May Rise the Most Since 2018
USA Today: Health Insurance Costs Are About to Spike Again: What to Expect in 2026
Texas Tribune: 1.7 Million Texans Could Lose Health Coverage Under Expiring Tax Credits, ACA Changes in GOP Megabill