Health insurance premiums have spiked significantly for 2026, with workers, Obamacare enrollees, and Medicare beneficiaries all contending with steeper-than-usual hikes. Employers’ health benefit costs are expected to rise 9%, the largest increase in several years, though employers will attempt to soften the blow for workers. Premiums for the benchmark Affordable Care Act plan soared 26%, on average, one of the biggest jumps since the Obamacare plans debuted more than a decade ago, with enrollees’ actual premium payments expected to spike 114% due to the expiration of enhanced federal subsidies. Medicare Part B premiums, which cover doctors’ visits and outpatient hospital services, shot up nearly 10% this year, the largest increase in four years. The standard monthly premium is now $202.90, up $17.90 from last year.
Americans have been going to the doctor more often in recent years and, in some cases, receiving more intensive treatments. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more workers have been accessing mental health services—a benefit that employers have focused on expanding. Some 10.1% of policyholders had a behavioral health office visit in the second quarter of 2025, compared to 7.1% in the same period in 2019, according to a study by Mercer. Growth of medical clinics and telehealth providers has made it easier to access health services, further increasing utilization. More than three-quarters of American adults had at least one chronic disease, while more than half had multiple conditions in 2023. The prevalence of obesity and depression increased among young adults between 2013 and 2023.
Higher hospital prices are also driving up premiums, with inpatient care in nearly half of metropolitan areas controlled by one or two health systems in 2023, and 55% of physicians employed by hospitals in 2024. The blockbuster obesity and diabetes medications have sent pharmaceutical costs skyrocketing. The share of very large firms covering GLP-1 drugs for obesity soared to 43% in 2025, up from 28% the prior year, with nearly 60% of large firms saying usage is higher than predicted.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/24/economy/health-insurance-premiums-cost-increase