New A.C.A. Plans Could Increase Family Deductibles to $31,000 [View all]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/health/obamacare-health-insurance-rollbacks.html

New A.C.A. Plans Could Increase Family Deductibles to $31,000
The Trump administration is proposing Obamacare plans that it says will lower health insurance premiums. But critics warn they would make care unaffordable.
By Reed Abelson
Feb. 26, 2026 Updated 7:31 a.m. ET

The Trump administration’s proposed new rules for Obamacare plans next year would shift more health care costs to Americans, with much higher deductibles that could lead to greater medical bills.

Under the proposal, people who rely on the Affordable Care Act for their health insurance coverage could choose plans with much lower monthly premiums. But that could leave them exposed to medical expenses totaling thousands of dollars more than A.C.A. plans do now before their insurance would kick in.

Heading into the midterm elections, offering these new plans is one of few options open to the Trump administration to lower Obamacare premiums that do not require congressional approval. Affordability has become a campaign mantra for Democrats: Health care costs were viewed as the top economic concern in a recent public opinion poll from KFF, a health research group.

In his State of the Union address, Mr. Trump blamed “the crushing costs of health care” on the Affordable Care Act, saying the program funneled money to the big insurance companies, He advocated sending the payments directly to Americans, so they could “buy their own health care, which will be better health care at a much lower cost.”

But Congress would need to pass legislation to allow the money to be redirected or make any major changes to the program. Instead, the administration is proposing a set of rules that would allow the introduction of new plans, including those that are much less expensive than ones available today. These plans are favored by Republicans who believe people will be much better at finding care at low prices when they spend their own money for a doctor or treatment.

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Trump is hell bent on killing Americans.