ACA enrollment may fall by 5 million people this year, analysis finds | The BriefWire
ACA enrollment may fall by 5 million people this year, analysis finds
Published on 5/19/2026, 8:22:35 PM
Key points
An Obamacare sign is displayed outside an insurance agency on Nov.
12, 2025, in Miami.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images News | Getty Images Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act marketplace may ultimately fall by about 5 million people this year relative to 2025, as Americans face sharply higher costs triggered by a lapse in federal subsidies for healthcare premiums, according to a new study.
Marketplace enrollment could decline to roughly 17.5 million people in 2026 from 22.3 million people last year, a 21.5% drop, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group.
Its analysis, published Tuesday, is based on federal data and premium payment estimates from Wakely Consulting Group, a healthcare consultancy and actuarial shop.
Quick context: An Obamacare sign is displayed outside an insurance agency on Nov.
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