[Thanks Dems...] The ACA premium surge hits home

https://www.axios.com/2025/10/30/aca-premiums-spike-hits-home

The anticipated spike in Affordable Care Act premiums came into focus this 
week as previews of 2026 coverage options showed how customers could be on 
the hook for thousands more dollars in costs.

Why it matters: ACA open enrollment starts on Saturday, and people looking 
to re-up coverage could face both higher premiums and less assistance 
paying them if Congress doesn't extend enhanced pandemic-era subsidies.

Republicans continue to rebuff Democrats' demands that an extension be 
part of a deal to reopen the government.
Where it stands: Insurers are raising the monthly premiums they charge for 
marketplace coverage by an average of 26% across the country, according to 
an analysis from KFF.

Virginia's marketplace started sending renewal notices to residents 
outlining premium increases between 4% and 40%.
Colorado announced this week that the cost of 2026 coverage sold on the 
state's marketplace will double compared with this year.
Pennsylvania said premiums will increase an average of 21.5% next year.
Higher medical costs and rising prescription drug prices are driving up 
premiums, insurer trade group AHIP says.

Yes, but: The figures don't reflect what most people will actually pay for 
ACA coverage next year.

Monthly premiums would surge an average of 114% if Congress allows 
enhanced tax credits to expire at the end of the year, KFF calculated.
A Minnesota official said residents could owe $2,000 more in premium 
payments next year if the enhanced subsidies go away.
Congress originally passed the enhanced subsidies as a temporary pandemic 
measure. Under the policy, people making over 400% of the federal poverty 
level — $62,600 for an individual — do not have to pay more than 8.5% of 
their income toward marketplace health insurance.

Reality check: People earning between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty 
level will continue to get some of their premium subsidized next year, 
regardless of what Congress does.

However, the COVID-era changes lowered premium costs for this group, 
meaning they'd also see higher costs next year if Congress doesn't act.
The Trump administration emphasized Wednesday that many consumers will 
have marketplace plan options with lower premiums than they did before the 
COVID-19 pandemic, even without enhanced subsidies.

But the administration noted that average premiums next year after 
standard tax credits are applied would be $13 more per month than in 2025.
What we're watching: Budget and policy analysts predict that millions of 
people will decide coverage is beyond reach if enhanced subsidies aren't 
extended.

Those presumed exits already are contributing to next year's higher 
premiums.
Insurers said in state filings that they planned to charge about 4 
percentage points higher on average based on the expectation that 
healthier people will drop coverage without enhanced subsidies, leaving a 
sicker pool of enrollees, according to KFF.
Go deeper: Unsubsidized health insurance is unaffordable


-- 
November 5, 2024 - Congratulations President Donald Trump.  We look 
forward to America being great again.

We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that 
stupid people won't be offended.

Every day is an IQ test. Some pass, some, not so much.

Thank you for cleaning up the disasters of the 2008-2017, 2020-2024 Obama 
/ Biden / Harris fiascos, President Trump.

Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the 
The World According To Garp.  Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood 
queer liberal democrat donors.