FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2026
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org
Wisconsinites Facing Huge Price Hikes as ACA Open Enrollment Approaches
Prices surge after the expiration of ACA tax credits
MADISON, Wis. — Affordable Care Act Marketplace open enrollment begins November 1st, and experts say Wisconsinites enrolling in the marketplace could face a 20-30 percent increase in premiums. Republicans in Congress allowed the ACA tax credits to expire in 2025.
This jump in premiums comes after Wisconsin ACA enrollees already endured an average yearly premium increase of $996, up 49.7 percent from 2025, after the expiration of the cost-saving tax credits.
Premium price hikes have real world consequences. Many people are being pushed out of the marketplace because they can no longer afford coverage. In Wisconsin’s third congressional district, ACA enrollment fell by almost 20 percent.
“These premium price hikes are having huge impacts on families who are already stretched to the breaking point,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “Families in western Wisconsin are being squeezed from all sides as they deal with rising costs from tariffs and skyrocketing gas and diesel prices from the war in Iran. The loss of the ACA tax credits means that as their health care premiums surge, families are being forced to decide whether they can even afford coverage.”
###
