Why Health Insurance through the Marketplace Might Cost You More in 2026

14 Nov 2025 · 1 min

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A short YouTube explainer by Donna Genie about the return of the "subsidy cliff" in 2026 for ACA Marketplace premium tax credits. The video explains that premium tax credits (monthly discounts) are income-based and that an upcoming policy change will reintroduce a hard cutoff so households slightly above the eligibility threshold (roughly $58,000 for a single person) will receive zero subsidy starting in 2026. The creator gives a concrete example: a 45-year-old single person earning about $60,000 might pay roughly $400–$500/month in 2025 with a subsidy but would receive no subsidy and pay full price in 2026.

Questions this video answers

2026

Around $58,000 per year

45 years old, single, making about $60,000 a year

Around $400–$500 per month

They would receive zero subsidy (no partial help)

Chapters

Did you know that making just a little bit more money could cost you thousands of health insurance next year? Starting in 2026, a change is coming that could surprise a lot of people. It's called the subsidy cliff and it's coming back. So right now, if you get your health insurance from healthcare.gov you might qualify for monthly discounts. These are called premium tax credits. These can help you lower your insurance bill and are based on your income. Over the past few years. Even higher income households could qualify and there was no hard cutoff. But in 2026, that extra help is going away. So if your income just a little over a certain limit, usually around 58,000 a year for a single person, you'll get zero help. Not less, not partial, but zero. Let's say you're 45 years old, single, making about $60,000 a year. In 2025, you might still qualify for a discount and pay around 4 or $500 a month for your health insurance. But in 2026, with that same income, you'll no longer qualify for a subsidy. You'll be paying the full price just because you made a couple thousand dollars more.