Obamacare Enrollment Expected to Drop by Nearly Five Million as Costs Surge

[corbe]

Obamacare Enrollment Expected to Drop by Nearly Five Million as Costs Surge

By AG News Staff
May 20, 2026

Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act marketplace is projected to fall by nearly 5 million people this year as rising premiums and higher deductibles force many Americans to reconsider whether they can still afford health insurance coverage, according to a new analysis from healthcare nonprofit KFF.

The report estimates ACA enrollment could decline from 22.3 million participants in 2025 to roughly 17.5 million this year, representing a drop of more than 20 percent.

At the same time, Americans who remain enrolled are paying substantially more out of pocket. According to the analysis, average deductibles have climbed by more than $1,000, while monthly premium payments have increased by an average of $65.

“No matter how you slice it, people are paying more,” said Cynthia Cox, who co-authored the report.

The sharp enrollment decline comes after the expiration of enhanced COVID-era subsidies that had artificially lowered costs for many Obamacare enrollees over the past several years. Without those subsidies, many middle-income Americans are now struggling to keep up with rising monthly payments.

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https://amgreatness.com/2026/05/20/obamacare-enrollment-expected-to-drop-by-nearly-5-million-as-costs-surge/

[DefiantMassRINO]

Medical inflation has been outpacing overall inflation for decades.

Obamacare redistributed medical costs, but it did not address medical inflation.

The only ways to make money in healthcare insurance is:

1.) Deny care
2.) Lower reimbursement rates (to a point where providers will leave provider networks)
3.) Delay reimbursement payments (to a point that puts medical providers in fiscal distress)
4.) Anti-Competitive trade practices
5.) Fraud

The Healthcare system is in a slow-motion collapse as hospitals close and providers enter concierge practices that do not take health insurance.