US Individual Health Insurance Enrollment Fell to 20.5 Million People as of June, KFF Says

3-line summary

• US individual health insurance (ACA/Obamacare) enrollment fell to 20.5 million as of June 2026, down 18% from 25.2 million a year earlier — the largest annual drop since 2015 — according to a KFF analysis cited by Investing.com, based on insurer filings with regulators. This is a steeper decline than KFF's earlier finding of a 12% drop versus February 2025.
• The drop follows the expiration of pandemic-era subsidy boosts, which doubled or tripled premiums for some enrollees, compounded by broader rising health insurance costs; a March KFF survey found 17% of enrollees were unsure they could afford premiums through year-end. Insurers requested a median 14% premium increase this year, the second-highest in nearly a decade, citing a sicker, higher-risk enrollee pool; Centene and UnitedHealth both warned of rising medical costs in their ACA businesses. KFF expects enrollment to keep declining through 2026.

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