Poll Shows ACA Enrollees Cutting Food, Facing Uninsured Spike After Subsidies End
KFF survey finds about 9% uninsured and 55% cutting food or basics after enhanced ACA subsidies expired, with enrollment forecast to fall to 12.5 million by 2028.
Joe.My.God.POLL: Most ACA Enrollees Are Cutting Back On Food And Basic Household Items Due To Spike In Premiums - Joe.My.God.
PBS NewsHourMany Americans plan to cut food to afford ACA health insurance, new poll shows
CNBC9% of ACA health-care plan enrollees go uninsured after enhanced subsidies expire, poll finds
ABC NewsWhat ACA enrollees are cutting back on to afford health care, according to a new poll
Associated PressWhat Americans are giving up to afford ACA health insurance, according to a new poll
Overview
A KFF survey of 1,117 people who had ACA marketplace coverage in 2025 found about 9% of last year’s enrollees are now uninsured after enhanced premium subsidies expired, the poll said.
The lapse of enhanced premium tax credits has driven up premiums, with reports showing increases ranging roughly from 21.7% to more than 100% and about 22 to 23 million people having received subsidies last year.
Returning enrollees largely blame health insurers and politicians, with about 7 in 10 saying they blame insurers "a lot" and 54% and 53% blaming congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump for higher costs, KFF said.
About 55% of returning enrollees said they are cutting or plan to cut spending on food and basic household items, 43% are seeking extra work, 23% are skipping or delaying bills, and 21% are taking loans or increasing credit card debt, KFF found.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated total ACA marketplace enrollment could fall to 12.5 million by 2028, and KFF found about 17% of returning enrollees said they are not confident they can afford their premiums, putting coverage at risk.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story around consumer hardship and political accountability, foregrounding KFF poll findings and empathetic language while linking premium spikes to congressional Republicans and President Trump. They prioritize KFF experts and election implications, highlight personal financial trade-offs, and largely omit GOP responses or counterarguments.
FAQ
The enhanced premium tax credits under the ACA, introduced by the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act, expired on December 31, 2025, as Congress did not extend them beyond 2025.
Premium payments for subsidized enrollees are estimated to more than double on average, from $888 in 2025 to $1,904 in 2026, representing a 114% increase.
55% are cutting spending on food or basics, 43% are seeking extra work, 23% are skipping or delaying bills, and 21% are taking loans or using credit card debt.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates total ACA marketplace enrollment could fall to 12.5 million by 2028, with about 9% of 2025 enrollees already uninsured.
