Author: HairWeavings Editorial Team

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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Originally posted at: Angie Katsanevas’ Pearl Embellished Jeans

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Originally posted at: Heather Gay’s Grey Cable Knit Zip Up Sweater and Pants

Are there good syns and bad sins? Do you agree that there are ways to see life that help you feel alive and prosperous no matter what is happening on the outside?

The other day I decided I was ready to receive clients as a trauma and reinvention consultant, offering four to six sessions for reinventing your life. Suddenly the flood gate opened with opportunities. One person booked a session without me even doing any marketing. It was unexpected, but that gave me the energy to make some calls to previous clients. Flow began with a decision to open up. I said to the Universe, “I am ready, willing, and able to open to help five people.

We don’t always get what we want in life, but we can certainly try.

Life Works Better with “Synning”

Let’s get started defining a simple and powerful strategy for what to avoid and what to embrace to have a fabulous life.

There are three “syns” to try to create flow in your life. They are synchronicity, synergy, and synthe­sis. Not practicing them can interfere with ease and abundance. You not only grow by using them, but they are easy to try. They are the tools that will lead you to many unexpected surprises and joys. They arise from the deepest well of our inner knowing: instincts and intuition and aligning with the Greater Good for you and others.

If we are not rewarded for using our instincts and intuition, but for doing the right things and accom­plishing goals, we have gotten out of the habit of trusting one of the most useful parts of ourselves. Each of us has a still, quiet voice within that tells us what is important, what hurts, what to stick with, and what to let go of.

If we argue with the inner wise one and try to convince ourselves to keep on going with only pressure to succeed, we will override our precious wis­dom. Maybe just take a pause and do some deep breathing and then begin again.

What if we were to trust our own capacity to know what is right for us every moment? Scary? Maybe. But for now, I’m only talking about listen­ing to our inner voice.

What Is the Difference Between Syns and Sins?

Your three syn tools – synchronicity, synergy, and synthesis­ – have accompanying sins that can keep you limited. I con­sider it “sinning” to neglect deeper longings and unmet dreams. Don’t you feel more alive when you pay heed to what you know is right for you, even when it doesn’t always make perfect sense?

A synchronicity is when the right person appears or you call someone you have been thinking about and something inspiring happens. The sin linked to synchronicity is over­ controlling and overthinking.

The sin linked to synergy is the belief that you must do everything yourself – that you can’t trust others. What if you felt more support and companionship? Letting go of loneliness and joining with other safe people might lead to more companionship and support.

The sin linked to synthesis is impatience. It’s like opening the oven before the cake has been baked. It might be a learning curve when you don’t have all the answers. You decide you can’t live your dreams, and that things won’t work. Change can happen if we can be patient.

Syns give you a way to live aligned with the Greater Good. Life can be like taking deep breaths on a beautiful beach. Sins, on the other hand, suck away your energy like a vacuum and limit experiencing magic.

Checklists and Goals

You can have lists and goals, but do you define yourself by lists and goals? Do checklists make you feel important?

For myself, I think I am much more than what I do. I value my excitement and life-expanding urges. When I value growth and expansion, I make choices to go to new classes, to write a book, to call my niece because I’m thinking of her.

Every day we are pummelled by society’s ideas of suc­cess and failure. These ideas about money, status, and achievement can drive us to backaches and migraines. Have you chosen your guiding principles carefully, or are you like a lemming following the pack?

Please Take a Moment to Reflect:

What enlivens your day and this moment? What might you be missing? If you were to die tomorrow, would you have regrets?