KFF Health News: Insurers And Customers Brace For Double Whammy To Obamacare Premiums Most of the 24 million people in Affordable Care Act health plans face a potential one-two punch next year — double-digit premium increases along with a sharp drop in the federal subsidies that most consumers depend on to buy the coverage, also known as Obamacare. Insurers want higher premiums to cover the usual culprits — rising medical and labor costs and usage — but are tacking on extra percentage point increases in their 2026 rate proposals to cover effects of policy changes advanced by the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress. (Appleby, 7/18)
In more ways than one this administration’s idea of reducing spending is to shift costs to the states and individual Americans. This is just one example.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
Whenever you want to talk about 2026 health care premiums for those enrolled in public exchange coverage, please remember to post this response – slightly updated from prior posts:
“… One last time, all this law (the One Big Beautiful Bill) does is return us to a less stupid world when it comes to health coverage – what President Obama’s law provided and what President Clinton’s law required.
Consider this: Federal poverty level of 400% for a family of four is $103,000 this year (2025).
Tell me, why should a taxpayer earning the median income of about $58,000 a year, who is the sole income in his family, probably contributing two to three hundred dollars a year (or even a month) for his employers coverage of his family of four, have to pay more taxes so that a family of four, with two earners, each at almost the same income level, almost twice the household income, should receive a taxpayer subsidy for health coverage?
That is stupid, no? That is vote buying, right?
After the law takes effect, Health Reform still continue to provide taxpayer subsidized health coverage through the Exchange. The new legislation reverts us to pre-COVID structure which was in effect from the date the Exchanges were added in 2014 until 2020.
Here is what happens to the taxpayer subsidies, for a SILVER level insurance option – probably better coverage than what most workers have through their employer:
FPL – With Added Subsidy – Original ACA, 2026
< 150% – 0% – 2.07 – 4.14%
150-200% – 0% – 2% – 4.14% – 6.52%
200-250% – 2.0% – 4.0% – 6.52% – 8.33%
250-300% – 4.0% – 6.0% – 8.33% – 9.83%
300-400% – 6.0% – 8.5% – 9.83%
>400% – 8.5% – Subsidy Eliminated
Tell me again, why is Health Reform and the subsidies incorporated in the initial legislation, President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 so bad?
And, if Health Reform was so great, so why do you denigrate returning to pre-COVID levels now that we are mostly post-COVID? …”
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