Average ACA marketplace premium payments rose 58% to $178 a month after enhanced credits expired
The Receipt · Friday, 11 September 2026
Why it matters
This is a measured increase in healthcare spending following the expiration of a subsidy policy, not a projection: typical marketplace premium payments rose $65 per month while average deductibles rose by about $1,027. The enrollment losses and shift toward higher-deductible bronze plans indicate that some consumers responded by leaving coverage or accepting greater costs when they use care.
What happened
Average monthly premium payments for ACA marketplace enrollees, after remaining subsidies, rose from $113 in 2025 to $178 in 2026, according to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services enrollment and payment data. The subsidy cliff hit households just above 400% of the federal poverty level particularly hard: sign-ups in that income band fell 44%, or more than 321,000 people, and the band accounted for 27% of the marketplace enrollment decline while representing 3% of 2025 sign-ups, according to KFF analysis. Many remaining enrollees shifted toward cheaper bronze plans, whose share rose from 30% to 40%; the average deductible increased 37%, or about $1,027, to $3,786.
Previously
31 Dec 2025 — Enhanced Affordable Care Act marketplace premium tax credits expired after Congress did not renew them.(The Money Overview)
2021–2025 — Enhanced Affordable Care Act marketplace premium tax credits applied, including subsidies for households above 400% of the federal poverty level and income-based premium caps for other households.(The Money Overview)
Players & places
- United States
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- KFF
- Affordable Care Act