Open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans begins today
The Affordable Care Act was enacted by the 111th Congress and signed into law during the Obama administration on March 23, 2010. The law's official name is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and is also referred to as Obamacare.(File: bym
The Health Insurance Marketplace open enrollment period for Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), for the 2026 plan year begins today.
People looking to enroll in coverage will have until Jan. 15 in most states to find a plan for 2026. To have coverage start on Jan. 1, shoppers will have to make their choice by Dec. 15. Shoppers have until Jan. 15, 2026 to enroll with coverage starting on Feb. 1, 2026.
According to nonprofit health policy organization KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation, more than 24 million people enrolled in individual plans for 2025.
People can buy a new plan with help from income-based tax credits through insurance marketplaces set up in every state. Former President Joe Biden’s administration beefed up that help with enhanced tax credits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those are set to expire this year unless Congress works out an extension, which is a sticking point between Democrats and Republicans for opening the government.
The federal government shut down earlier this month as Democrats in Congress demanded negotiations to extend those enhanced tax credits which have helped people purchase coverage the past few years. Republicans say they won’t negotiate until Democrats vote to reopen the government.
Stuck in the middle are insurance customers, many of whom will be facing the biggest premium hikes they’ve seen in years and may be forced to consider changing plans.
KFF says premiums, or the cost of coverage, will on average jump around 20% for 2026 but the expiring tax credits could cause coverage costs to more than double for some.
Shoppers can get a sense of their options by checking their state marketplace. You can find that by visiting healthcare.gov.
What is the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
The backstory:
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted by the 111th Congress and signed into law during the Obama administration on March 23, 2010. The law's official name is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and is also referred to as Obamacare.
The first open enrollment period for individuals to purchase coverage through the newly established marketplaces began in Oct. 2013, with coverage in the plans becoming effective Jan. 1, 2014.
The primary goals of the ACA are:
- Making health insurance affordable and available to more people. ACA provides consumers with subsidies ("premium tax credits") that lower costs for households with incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL).
- Expanding the Medicaid program to cover all adults with income below 138% of the FPL. Not all states have expanded their Medicaid programs.
- Supporting the innovative delivery of medical care methods with a goal of lowering the costs of health care generally.
The Source: This article includes information from KFF, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The Associated Press, and previous FOX TV Stations reports. This story was reported from Orlando.