Last Tuesday night, Democrats pulled off a historic victory, reclaiming both the House and Senate in a monumental election where health care affordability dominated the national debate. This resounding blue wave has reignited the fight for affordable health care, offering a light at the end of the tunnel for millions of Americans facing some of the steepest health insurance premium increases in history. Last year, Trump and Republicans pushed through a reckless budget reconciliation bill that slashed $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to hand billionaires and big corporations another round of massive tax giveaways. And Americans have been paying the price ever since. Since then, out-of-pocket premium costs have surged as much as 114% for most people with ACA coverage, while skyrocketing costs have priced out nearly 3 million people from their Marketplace coverage. The Republican fueled health care affordability crisis extends far beyond the ACA Marketplace. From teachers to first responders, Americans with employer-sponsored coverage nationwide are watching rising premiums eat away at their hard-earned paychecks.
Americans are fed up with double-digit premium hikes and soaring medical expenses. And to their relief, Democrats are heading to Washington with a plan of action come January. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has already laid out the first orders of business: restoring the enhanced ACA premium tax credits, reversing devastating Medicaid cuts, and putting affordable health care coverage back within reach for millions of Americans.
National Coverage
The Washington Post: ACA Premiums Are Getting More Expensive. Here’s Who Will Be Paying the Most.
The New York Times: Obamacare Dealt Yet Another Blow as Premiums Jump Again
The American Action Forum: Health Insurance Premiums Keep Rising
Insurance News Net: ACA Premium Increases in Double Digits for Second Year
Insurance Business: Midterm Results: What a Democrat Win Means for Benefits
HealthInsurance.org: Health Insurance Premium Increases for 2027: Average Rate Changes by State and What Consumers Should Know
Insurance Business: Rising Health Premiums Are Cutting Into Workers’ Retirement Savings
Insurance Business: The Economic Cost of Rising ACA Premiums Goes Beyond the Premium
Harvard T.H. Chan: Americans Facing ‘Really Tough Decisions’ Around Rising Health Insurance Costs
The New York Times: Millions Lose Private Medicare Plans and Face Rising Costs
Bloomberg: Rising Healthcare Costs Squeeze Low-Income and Wealthy Voters Alike
Forbes: Rising Medical And Living Costs Drive Voter Anxiety In Crucial Midterms
Clearance Jobs: Federal Employees Face Another Double-Digit FEHB Premium Increase in 2027
Philly Voice: Job-Based Health Plan Costs Rise, With Little Relief in Sight
Arizona
Arizona Capitol Times: Arizona Employee Health Insurance Costs Are ‘Out of Control,’ Lawmakers Say
California
New York Post: California Health Insurance Costs Skyrocketed 45% as National Rankings Paint Grim Picture
Colorado
Steamboat Pilot & Today: Health Insurance Rates Rise Across Colorado, With the Biggest Increases Hitting the Western Slope
beinsure: Colorado’s Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Premiums to Rise 10% in 2027
Connecticut
DataHaven: Declining Coverage and Rising Premiums: The Effects of H.R. 1 and the Expiration of Premium Credits on Medicaid and Marketplace Health Insurance in Connecticut Towns and Legislative Districts
Florida
Central Florida Public Media: Florida ACA Insurance Premiums Jump Again as Residents Plead
Georgia
WSB-TV: Georgia Health Insurance Premiums Increase as Much as by Double-Digits for 2nd Year in a Row
WSB-TV: Nearly 500K Georgians Could Leave ACA Marketplace as Premiums Climb
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Average Monthly Premium for Georgia Access Plans Will Soar to $932 Next Year
Maryland
The Southern Maryland Chronicle: Open Enrollment for ACA Health Plans Again Brings a Sharp Price Hike for Marylanders
Michigan
The Detroit News: Michigan Health Insurers Win Rate Hikes as High as 25% for 2027
WXPR: Michiganders Face Rising Healthcare Costs as Open Enrollment Nears
Minnesota
DULUTH News Tribune: Direct Primary Care Industry Grows in Northland as Insurance Premiums Rise
Missouri
KBIA: Cole County Commission Approves Increased Premiums for County Health Insurance Plans
Montana
KTVQ: Montana Health Insurance Costs Set to Spike in 2027 as Individual-Market Premiums Rise 23% on Average
New Hampshire
Business NH Magazine: Medicaid Changes Increasing Insurance Costs for Businesses
New Jersey
Asbury Park Press: Here’s Why NJ Consumers Face Double-Digit Obamacare Premium Hikes
The Philadelphia Inquirer: N.J. Insurance Shoppers Will See a Nearly 20% Premium Hike Next Year for ACA Plans
New Jersey Business & Industry Association: Double-Digit Health Insurance Rate Increases Finalized for 2027
NorthJersey.com: NJ Health Insurance Rates to Soar Above National Average in 2027
New York
Adirondack Explorer: Rising Premiums, Fewer Options: The Fallout of Ny’s Health Plan Rollbacks
North Carolina
WINT: Rising Health Insurance Premiums Raise Concerns for North Carolina Families as Aca Enrollment Begins
WFAE: Plans Are Disappearing; Drug Costs Are Rising. What NC Medicare Enrollees Need to Know This Year
North Dakota
Valley News Live: North Dakota Health Insurance Premiums Set to Rise in 2027
The Dakotan: North Dakota Approves Health Insurance Premium Increases of Up to 19% for 2027
KX News: ND Insurance Department Announces Health Insurance Rate Increases
KFGO: Big Rate Increases Are Coming for Affordable Care Act Plans in North Dakota
Pennsylvania
Phillyburbs: Why Could Pennie Health Insurance Cost More in 2027?
Texas
KFOX14: Health Insurance Hikes Hit El Paso School Employees, Some Consider Leaving Jobs
Vermont
WCAX3: Vermont Health Insurance Enrollment Opens as Premiums Rise
Washington
The Spokesman-Review: ‘Enraging’: WA Residents Despair as Insurance Premiums Climb Again
West Virginia
WDTV: PEIA Proposes Premium Increases of 2% to 24% for Public Employee Health Plans
West Virginia Watch: Affordable Care Act Users in West Virginia Is Declining Due to National Policy Decisions
Wyoming
New Letter Journal: Insurance Cost Hikes, Fewer Medicare Options Add to Wyomingites’ Healthcare Struggles