Chart Review: Premium Trends Under The Affordable Care Act

Julia Demeester, Health Care Policy Intern

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was intended to reduce the cost of health insurance coverage for individuals who qualify, but as the chart below shows, prices have struggled to become more affordable. Premiums steadily increased between 2015 and 2018, but they then began to drop in 2019 and 2020 and are expected to follow the same trend for 2021. While a number of factors have contributed to the stabilization of premiums, it is notable that the ACA marketplaces have stabilized during the Trump Administration, as Christopher Holt noted last week. More competition could drive down prices this coming plan year: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services expects that more insurers will participate during this plan year.

Data from the Kaiser Family Foundation (tiers and benchmarks) and HealthCare.gov

 

WORTH A LOOK

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Disclaimer

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