Month: October 2025

Is there romance in the air?

Seniors planning to use ACA (Affordable Care Act) marketplace health insurance in 2026 need to prepare for likely large increases in costs. Of course, nothing is set in stone just yet, but it’s wise to have a few things in mind.

In a previous article we explained how seven provisions in the new OBBBA (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) are generating those large cost increases. This article will put some numbers on those likely large cost increases. We will also explain the “cliff” income level that seniors need to vigilantly monitor.

“Falling Off a Cliff”

In his recent song, Stavros Solomos laments:

Falling off a cliff, can’t turn back now,

Got the world in a spin, don’t know how . . .

Four Key Points to Keep in Mind

The two tables below show examples of 2026 estimated likely increases in marketplace health insurance costs.

Both tables examine insurance plans available to residents of Marion County, Florida. The costs were calculated using the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) calculator.

#1: Cost Could Get as High as $26,222 for a Senior Couple

Most striking in the first table is the dramatic $18,572 increase in estimated 2026 yearly cost, from $7,650 to $26,222 for a senior couple whose sample income reaches $90,000.

#2: Cost Could Get as High as $13,184 for a Senior Individual

#3: “Cliff Drop” Straight Down to Zero

The dramatic likely cost increases result from changes in the way ACA financial help is provided at various income levels. As illustrated in our previous article, and shown again below, at certain income levels, you could lose ALL of your ACA financial help. The red line in this chart illustrates the “cliff drop” of ACA financial help.

#4: Get Your Personal Estimate

Beginning November 1, you can get your official government estimate of your 2026 ACA insurance premium. Go to HealthCare.gov and begin by indicating the state you live in, how many people in your household, and how much income your household is expected to make in 2026.

Planning for Big Rises in Costs for ACA Marketplace Health Insurance

Knowing that you likely will see large increases in the cost of your ACA health insurance could help you feel a little less stunned when you see your 2026 estimate from HealthCare.gov. Understanding that the cliff drop in ACA financial help could lead to dramatic increases in cost should alert you to take steps to control your income level.

Credible information, clear understanding and thoughtful planning can empower you to avoid the cliff drop and get the most from ACA’s financial help. Guidance from a knowledgeable and experienced financial planner could help you navigate through changes and complexity. Expert financial planning could help you avoid the “falling off the cliff” that Stavros Solomos laments.

Editor’s Note: All images provided by author, Kevin Lam.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How are you preparing for the likely large increases in 2026 ACA (Affordable Care Act) marketplace health insurance costs? What additional information would you like to have? How will you plan to take manage the higher costs you might see for your ACA health insurance? Please join the conversation.

The world is a canvas, wide open and new,
And the paintbrush, dear friends, is inside of you.
Each thought that you think, each feeling you send,
Loops back around, for there is no true end.

We’re woven together, like threads in a seam,
The future’s not “out there,” it lives in your dream.
So clean out your closet, your attic, your mind,
Release what is heavy, old, worn, or unkind.

For clinging to past things will slow down your stride,
So bless them, then wave them a fond, kind goodbye.
Encourage your country, your neighbors, your kin,
To freshen the house and let bright air blow in.

All nations are dancers in delicate spin,
Sometimes they stumble, sometimes they win.
America, Japan—two partners at play,
Can tumble the markets and tilt the ballet.

Yet history is shaped by what people choose,
Not only by debts or the headlines of news.
So choose with intention, and cast in the pot,
Select what is useful, not only what’s hot.

In food and in fabrics, in silver and gold,
In ventures collective, the story is told.
The Earth gives her bounty, she offers her hand,
So partner with others and care for the land.

Your banks may look mighty, with windows so tall,
But for keeping your future, they’re not safe at all.
Instead, place your treasures where they can renew,
And serve friends and others and blossom for you.

The future’s not fearful, it isn’t a test,
It’s a journey, a banquet, a grand cosmic quest.
So wake with a blessing, and greet the new day,
Knowing you’ll clear what gets stuck in the way.

For the moment is calling, and now is the time,
To sing your own song using rhythm and rhyme.
You’re part of the whole, you’re part of the plan,
Creating the future? Of course, yes . . . yes, you can!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

In what ways are you creating your future? Do you feel like you’re waiting for the future to come or for someone else to bring it to your door?

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