As Obamacare premiums climb, some plan to drop their health insurance and go uninsured
Ginny Murray says she and her husband, Chaz, are out of options for health insurance. In January, their premiums are expected to rise higher than they’ve ever gone up before, putting the cost out of reach.
The Arkansas couple plan to drop their coverage, betting their savings will be enough if unexpected illness strikes.
“Our plan is to keep putting the money we’re already paying towards health care in savings,” said Murray, whose insurance is covered through the Affordable Care Act, “and really just hoping that we don’t have a stroke or we don’t have a heart attack.”
The couple’s monthly premium is around $1,500; with the subsidies, it comes down to around $450. But the state regulators approved a 26% rate increase for their insurer, which means their premiums will rise by at least $400 next year. The cost could more than triple if the subsidies expire.
“What other choice do we have?” Murray said.
From 2010 to 2023, the rate of people going uninsured fell from around 16% — about 48 million people — to 7.7%, according to data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research group. Meanwhile, enrollment in ACA plans has grown from 8 million people in 2014 to a record 24.3 million people in 2025, thanks in part to the enhanced subsidies, according to the health policy research group KFF.
As Obamacare premiums climb, some plan to drop their health insurance and go uninsured https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-care/obamacare-aca-premiums-climb-uninsured-rcna238048
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