Most ACA enrollees cutting back on food, household needs to pay for health care: Poll
About 8 in 10 Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollees report higher health care costs, with 55% reducing spending on food and essentials, a KFF survey found.
- KFF's survey of 1,117 U.S. adults with Marketplace coverage in 2025 shows about 55% plan to cut food and basic household spending, and 8 in 10 re-enrolled say costs are higher this year.
- Failure to reach a January bipartisan compromise resulted in 23 million ACA enrollees facing higher premiums after enhanced tax credits expired Dec. 31, with Democrats in Congress pushed back by Republican leadership.
- Many returning ACA enrollees report changing plans or tiers, with about 7 in 10 staying, 3 in 10 switching plans, 1 in 10 dropping coverage, and 2 in 10 finding alternative insurance.
- Rising out‑of‑pocket costs are forcing behaviors such as patients rationing insulin and Priscilla Brown paying $17 monthly for a new plan while facing refill costs over $150.
- Poll respondents largely assign blame, noting about 7 in 10 blame health insurance companies a lot, over half blame Republican lawmakers, President Donald Trump and pharmaceutical companies, and one-third blame Democrats in Congress or hospitals.
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Many Americans plan to cut food to afford ACA health insurance, new poll shows
About 8 in 10 Americans who re-enrolled in Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage say their health care costs are higher this year, according to a new survey from the health care research nonprofit KFF.
Most ACA enrollees cutting back on food, household needs to pay for health care: Poll
A little more than half of Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace enrollees reported cutting back on spending for food, clothing and other basic household items to afford health care, which has become more expensive. In a new KFF poll released Thursday, 55 percent of returning ACA marketplace enrollees said they are already or are planning…
Roundup: Health insurance woes / Fluoride fight / Climate lawsuit crackdown
Losing coverage: Millions of Americans are losing health insurance after enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expired, driving up premiums. A new survey finds nearly one in 10 dropped coverage, while many remaining enrollees face higher out-of-pocket costs and financial strain, raising concerns that coverage losses could continue throughout the year. Read more from The Wall Street Journal. Escalating fight: Louisiana lawmakers are advancing a…
Cost Concerns and Coverage Changes: A Follow-Up Survey of ACA Marketplace Enrollees
This KFF survey is a follow-up survey of adults who had ACA Marketplace insurance in 2025. The survey examines the cost concerns and coverage changes that these 2025 Marketplace enrollees are experiencing following the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits. The survey finds that half of returning enrollees say their health care costs are “a lot higher” and most expect to cut back on basic household expenses to afford coverage.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources are Center
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