HCA Healthcare lowered its annual profit forecast on Tuesday, citing a rise in uninsured patients and increased uncompensated care costs driven largely by Americans dropping coverage under Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) plans.
Health insurers offering Affordable Care Act plans are requesting a median 14% premium increase for 2027, marking the second consecutive year of double-digit hikes and intensifying affordability concerns that have already caused millions to drop coverage.
ACA Marketplace deductibles hit a record 37% increase in 2026 following the expiration of enhanced tax credits, pushing millions of enrollees toward cheaper, higher-deductible bronze plans. Premium payment rates have also dropped sharply across multiple states.
Multiple states are experiencing significant drops in Affordable Care Act enrollment, with Georgia seeing a 28% decline in premium payments in April compared to the previous year. The trend suggests rising costs from reduced subsidies are causing people to skip payments or drop coverage entirely.
The Trump administration finalized major changes to Affordable Care Act exchanges, including significantly greater access to catastrophic health plans with high deductibles, raising concerns among insurance experts and healthcare stakeholders about coverage adequacy.
Millions of Americans are dropping health insurance coverage after Congress refused to extend federal tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans, resulting in significantly higher premiums that many cannot afford.
Cigna announced it will exit Affordable Care Act individual insurance markets next year, adding to market instability after Congress failed to extend enhanced subsidies that helped people afford coverage. ACA membership is declining significantly.
Health insurance premiums for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans are projected to rise by a median of 14% in 2027 according to preliminary insurer filings analyzed by KFF, marking the second straight year of double-digit increases and creating significant cost pressures for middle-income Americans.
