Obamacare sticker shock: Three factors pushing premiums to record highs

Americans are bracing for their healthcare premiums to increase in 2026 amid uncertainty stemming from whether Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that are set to expire at the end of 2025 will receive an extension. Those shopping on the ACA marketplace already are expected to face a 26% premium price increase in 2026, and if the potential government subsidies expire, monthly payments for subsidized patients could increase by 114%, according to an analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation released in October. But the potential lapse in government subsidies, which seek to lower monthly payment