Did your ACA marketplace health insurance bill go up this year? You’re not imagining it.
The average person on marketplace insurance is now paying $178 a month, up from $113 last year. That’s a 58% jump, and it happened because of one thing: extra subsidies that started during COVID finally ran out at the end of 2025.
Those extra subsidies used to cap what you paid for insurance at 8.5% of your income, no matter how much you earned. Now that cap is gone for higher earners, and the discount is smaller for everyone else too.
Some people got hit a lot harder than others. If you’re a 60-year-old couple making $85,000 a year, your yearly cost could be up over $22,000. If you’re a single person making $28,000, you’re looking at roughly $1,238 more a year — and your share of income going to insurance jumped from about 1% to almost 6%.
I didn’t realize those COVID subsidies were temporary until I got my renewal notice. It felt like the government gave with one hand and took back with the other. Suddenly my insurance doubled.
| Income Level | Age | 2025 Monthly Cost | 2026 Monthly Cost | Annual Increase | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $28,000/year | Single | ~$104 | $242 | +$1,656 | 6% of income |
| $85,000/year | 60-year-old couple | ~$1,833 | $1,833+ | +Varies | May exceed $22K |
| $50,000/year | 35-year-old | ~$144 | $250 | +$1,272 | 3% of income |
| Bronze Plan | All ages | $100 | $120 | +$240 | High deductible |
Money isn’t the only thing that changed. Deductibles — the amount you pay out of pocket before insurance kicks in — hit a record $3,786 this year, up 37%. A lot of people responded by switching to cheaper “bronze” plans with lower monthly costs but much higher deductibles. That’s a real trade-off: less out of your paycheck now, more risk if you actually get sick.
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And here’s the part that worries me most: about 4.8 million people just stopped having marketplace coverage altogether. Some couldn’t afford the new price. Some just gave up and decided to go without. Nearly half of everyone who left was between 18 and 34 — young, usually healthier, people who often think they can go without insurance until something goes wrong.
If you’re one of the people paying more right now, you’re not alone, and you’re not doing anything wrong. This wasn’t a personal budgeting mistake. It was a policy decision made in Washington, and it landed on real people’s bank accounts.
This isn’t about cutting back on lattes or skipping dinner out. This is structural. People making $50K a year watching 3% of their entire income go to insurance — that’s not a personal finance problem, that’s a system problem.
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So what can you actually do about it? A few real options: check if you qualify for a cheaper bronze or catastrophic plan if you’re generally healthy and just need protection from a worst-case bill. Check if your state runs its own marketplace with extra state-level subsidies (some states added their own money to soften this). And if your income dropped or changed this year, report it — your subsidy is based on estimated income, and a correction could lower your bill.
Did your premium go up this year? Did you switch plans, or did you drop coverage? I’d really like to know how this hit your own numbers.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as medical or health insurance advice. Insurance plans, subsidies, and coverage vary by state and individual circumstances. Consult with a qualified insurance agent or healthcare professional before making insurance decisions.