The Indicator from Planet Money · Friday, August 7, 2026
The expiration of pandemic-era subsidies for the Affordable Care Act at the end of 2025 has led to a significant increase in premium costs for enrollees, averaging a 58% rise. This issue is poised to become a major talking point in the upcoming midterm elections, with Democrats aiming to highlight healthcare cuts and Republicans focusing on healthcare fraud.
“And recent healthcare changes haven't helped. Congress let the pandemic era subsidies for the affordable care act expire at the end of 2025. And that's had a massive impact on prices. That led to an enormous premium shock for these ACA enrollees. Their out of pocket premiums increased by 58% on average.”
“You can bet that the Democrats are going to be running ads, uh, against Republicans talking about those healthcare cuts. Uh, but then Republicans have been out there talking about healthcare fraud.”