They’re Uninsured After Obamacare Became Too Costly. And They’re Far From Alone.

KFF Health News ^ | June 15, 2026 | Andrew Jones

[fwdude]

SUGAR GROVE, N.C. — Year after year, Ross and Rebecca Tobiassen saw their healthcare costs rise, having relied on the Affordable Care Act for federally subsidized health insurance since its start in 2014. Year after year, the couple in western North Carolina kept their coverage, believing the peace of mind was worth the cost.

But in December, that changed. The Tobiassens decided to cancel their insurance when Rebecca saw the cost of their monthly premiums would jump from $130 to more than $550.

...

The Tobiassens are among the Americans who canceled their ACA coverage after Congress allowed enhanced tax credits that helped pay for insurance plans to expire at the end of 2025. The Tobiassens benefited from those tax credits — like millions of other enrollees expected to drop or be dropped from their coverage as the year progresses, unable to keep up with the higher costs.

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TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; Philosophy
KEYWORDS:

[fwdude]

This has everything to do with Obamacare. The enhanced subsidies were only the result, although likely planned, of a plandemic. Now we're back to the baseline Obamacare plan levels.

This is called "affordable."

[Sacajaweau]

Too many people don’t know about the enhanced subsidies where income doesn’t matter.....you can make $150,00 and still be subsidized.

[Merrick]

Which is ALWAYS the problem, with all programs.

I know few Americans who don’t believe in a safety net. Most rational Americans don’t believe a safety net comes with the latest iPhone, big-screen TVs, cable, computers, internet, junk food, etc.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

I went back and pulled this language from Obama's press release on the passage of Obamacare. Try not to laugh or cry:

For decades, rising health care costs have hurt American competitiveness, forced too many families into bankruptcy to get their families the care they need and driven up our nation’s long-term deficits. That’s why, after years of inaction in Washington, President Obama took on the insurance companies to pass comprehensive health insurance reform. The law reduces health care costs by rewarding doctors, hospitals and other providers that deliver high quality care and making investments to fund research into what works. The law extends coverage to 34 million Americans. For the first time in the nation’s history, the Affordable Care Act ensures that every American has access to quality affordable health coverage.

[VanShuyten]

“… their monthly premiums would jump from $130 to more than $550.”

That’s approaching private insurance costs.

[fwdude]

Pathetic.

Shortly after Obamacare passed, my doctor - those people we were promised we could “keep” - sent out a letter saying that he was retiring early and told us why. He said healthcare costs were about to become unbearable, and the only ones getting rich would be the insurance companies.

He was a good doctor and was sorry to see him go.

But he probably saw a LOT MORE coming that I wouldn’t have believed.

[FrankRizzo890]

Just in time to be used for the midterms!

[rktman]

Yup! Mrs rktman has a $10,000+ deductible so she just cancelled several appointments. An echocardiogram needed $1800 up front. Not available currently. Less than two years until her medicare. And I can’t loan her mine. 🤔👍🇺🇸

[Brian Griffin]

“An echocardiogram needed $1800 up front.”

One site I found said the cheapest price they found was in Ukraine - $17.

[TheThirdRuffian]

The price of health insurance has literally doubled since the passage of the “affordable care act”.

It’s gone up at twice the rate of inflation and a little more than twice the rate of medical costs.

It’s an absolute and total failure.

[Brian Griffin]

“An echocardiogram needed $1800 up front”

You might try phoning providers in British Columbia or Mexico.

[Brian Griffin]

I pay over $200/month for Medicare Part B.

[eyeamok]

SO do I, but I also pay $520 for my wifes cheap ass Kaiser plan.

[posterchild]

If they were illegal they wouldn’t need to worry about medical bills.

[Brian Griffin]

Be aware that ~$200/month is about a fifth of total Medicare Part B costs, which would work out to be $12,000/year/Medicare recipient.

Part B doesn’t include Part D drugs or Part A hospital and rehab care.

[Brian Griffin]

The timebomb of the PPACA has been ticking for 16 years.

[Texas resident]

I wasn’t on obamacare. I used to have private health insurance. Obamacare drove my premiums from $300/month to $3,000/month. Dropped it and went cash pay. It is actually a lot cheaper going that way.

[fruser1]

The only good thing I could say about Obama is that he atoned for the sin of bastardy.

[Delta 21]

"If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor!"

[ByteMercenary]

Scrap O-Care and put the healthcare insurance business back into capitalism mode ... make them compete for our money. FedGov’s role should be limited to preventing any type of monopoly from forming.