Obamacare enrollees get first look at 2026 prices as premiums soar [View all]

Source: CNN Politics

Updated Oct 29, 2025, 7:46 AM ET
PUBLISHED Oct 28, 2025, 11:10 PM ET


Premiums for Affordable Care Act coverage will skyrocket 26%, on average, next year, according to a KFF analysis released Tuesday evening, just days before open enrollment starts on November 1.

The price hike is one of the largest jumps since Obamacare plans debuted more than a decade ago — and it doesn’t factor in the expiration of the enhanced premium subsidies.

Consumers in the 30 states that use the federal exchange, healthcare.gov, can now get a preview of what they’ll pay for 2026 coverage. The site opened for so-called window shopping on Tuesday.

The monthly premium for the benchmark plan on healthcare.gov will soar 30%, on average, according to the KFF analysis, which is based on data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In states that run their own exchanges, the benchmark plan premium will rise by an average of 17%.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/28/politics/obamacare-premiums-increase-2026-coverage