ACA premiums set for a second straight double-digit jump, KFF analysis finds

Health plans sold through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces, often called Obamacare, are on track for another double-digit price increase in 2027. KFF, a nonprofit health policy research group, found that insurers are proposing a median increase of 15% ¹. Half of the requests are above that figure and half are below it.

KFF based the figure on public rate filings from 276 insurers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. ¹. It first published the analysis July 8 and updated it August 3 to add every state ¹. These are proposed rates, so final approved prices may differ ².

A second year of big increases

This is the second year in a row of double-digit requests ¹. The 2027 request is lower than last year's, but KFF calls it the second-highest requested change since 2018 ¹. For 2026, the median request was 18% and the median approved increase was 20% ¹.

In an earlier look at 77 insurers, KFF found a 14% median, as the Associated Press (AP) reported ². Insurers cite rising health care costs, federal regulatory changes and the end of enhanced federal subsidies ². KFF says the end of those subsidies left a sicker pool of customers, which pushes prices up ¹.

From Channel GOPColom: 200,000 Mississippians lost health insurance this yearScott Colom · 143 plays · captioned, with the source named

AP also reported that some insurers pointed to the Trump administration's new enrollment and eligibility requirements in their rate requests ². The overall marketplace shrank by more than 2.5 million people over the past year, and some states lost nearly a third of their enrollees ².

Who feels it most

People earning at least 400% of the federal poverty level generally get no subsidy and face the steepest increases ². That is about $63,000 for one person or $129,000 for a family of four ².

Stacey Pogue, a senior research fellow at Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms, said those enrollees were already hurt this year ². She also explained why prices keep rising ².

Those are the folks who kind of got a double whammy

When the healthy people leave, the prices go up,

What happens next

AP reported that lawmakers have proposed various overhaul plans, but none has gained enough support to pass ². AP also said affordability is a major concern for voters ahead of the November midterm elections ². Republicans control the House, the Senate and the White House.

We could not load the original report or confirm any new statement from Democratic or Republican leaders on these filings, so none is included here. Final 2027 prices will show up when people shop for coverage. Check your state's marketplace or Healthcare.gov for your own rates.

That matters because a 15% median is an average. Some insurers asked for more, and a person paying full price has no subsidy to soften it.

The Record

1. Jan 1, 2026Enhanced federal ACA subsidies expired, which insurers cite as a driver of higher premiums ².
2. Jul 8, 2026KFF first published its analysis, which found a 14% median proposed increase across 77 insurers ².
3. Aug 3, 2026KFF updated its analysis to a 15% median across 276 insurers in all 50 states and D.C. ¹.

Sources

1. KFF, “How Much and Why ACA Marketplace Premiums Are Going Up in 2027” (2026-08-03). kff.org/affordable-care-act/how-much-and-why-aca-marketplace
2. AP via WPTV, “Obamacare premiums surged this year. A new analysis shows it's likely to happen again in 2027” (2026-07-08). wptv.com/politics/health-care/obamacare-premiums-surged-this

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