With ACA premium hikes, many are opting for no coverage or cheaper plans

More people appear to be walking away from ACA coverage or switching to cheaper plans for 2026 compared to this time last year, according to early enrollment data.

More people appear to be walking away from Affordable Care Act coverage or switching to cheaper plans for 2026 compared to this time last year, according to early enrollment data from several states.

State health officials in New York, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Colorado and California shared numbers from the first month of ACA open enrollment, which began Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 15 in most states. Idaho opened two weeks earlier.

It’s too early to know whether the trend will hold, the officials said, noting that some people don’t finalize their plans until the final days of open enrollment — Dec. 15 for those who want their coverage to start Jan. 1. But the preliminary numbers could reflect signs of financial strain for people who can’t afford to pay hundreds of dollars more in monthly premiums once enhanced federal subsidies expire at the end of the year.

Those concerns likely deepened Thursday after the Senate voted against a Democratic bill that would’ve extended the subsidies for another three years, making it unlikely the tax credits will continue in 2026. Without them, millions of people are expected to face double-digit premium increases.

“There’s a lot yet to be seen, but there are definitely some early warning signs in terms of the decisions consumers are having to make in reaction to the changing federal policy,” said Jessica Altman, executive director of Covered California, a state-based marketplace for ACA coverage.