Many Americans who rely on Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance, also known as Obamacare, are likely to face another year of significant premium increases in 2027. According to a recent analysis by the healthcare research nonprofit KFF, the median proposed premium increase for 2027 is 14% across 77 insurers in the ACA program that have submitted rate filings.

Rising Healthcare Costs and Regulatory Changes

The insurers cited mounting healthcare costs, federal regulatory changes, and the recent expiration of pandemic-era enhanced subsidies as the primary factors driving premiums higher. The rise in premiums adds to the significant jump in 2026, when the median rate increase was 20%. Middle-class enrollees making 400% of the poverty level or more will face an especially stark increase in costs.

Health insurers must send filings to regulators every year, explaining what they expect to see in premium rate changes for individual market health plans for the coming year. The analysis found that insurers listed rising costs across the healthcare sector, including hospital visits, prescription drugs, workforce, and sicker patients, as the biggest cause of rising premiums. Overall inflation contributed to that pressure, driving prices higher across the entire economy.

Impact on Enrollees

The expiration of federal subsidies that had offset costs for many people and caused the Affordable Care Act program to balloon in size in recent years has led to a significant decrease in the number of enrollees. Many plan costs skyrocketed when those tax credits expired in January, prompting large swaths of enrollees to depart the marketplace, leaving sicker patients who carry higher risks and costs, and driving premiums higher.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.