Obamacare Deductibles Jump $1,000 After GOP Congress Ended Tax Credits

InnovationHealthcareObamacare Deductibles Jump $1,000 After GOP Congress Ended Tax CreditsByBruce Japsen,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Bruce Japsen writes about healthcare business and policy.Follow AuthorMay 19, 2026, 05:00am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Deductibles for Americans enrolled in individual coverage under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, jumped by more than $1,000 on average this year after the Republican-led Congress didn’t renew enhanced subsidies, a new KFF analysis released March 19, 2026 shows. In this photo is, President Donald Trump addressing a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. Vice President JD Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) applaud behind him. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)Getty ImagesDeductibles rose by more than $1,000 on average this year for Americans enrolled in individual health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, after the Republican-led Congress didn’t renew enhanced subsidies. A new KFF analysis shows the average deductible jumped by more than $1,000, or 37%, to $3,786 this year from $2,759 last year as enhanced premium tax credits expired effective at the beginning of this year. KFF analysts called the deductible increase the “steepest in history” for coverage under the ACA. Across the health insurance industry, the end of enhanced tax credits is triggering an exodus of health plan members who either can no longer afford coverage or who are buying lower-priced “bronze” plans that carry high deductibles, industry analysts and companies have said. KFF’s new report says enrollment could drop “by 21.5% or nearly five million people this year, falling from 22.3 million people in 2025 to about 17.5 million in 2026.”The subsidies, or tax credits, made health insur...