KFF December 7, 2021
Premiums for ACA Marketplace benchmark silver plans are decreasing on average across the U.S. in 2022 for the fourth consecutive year. However, premium changes vary widely by location and by metal level, with premiums increasing in several cases. As most enrollees receive significant premium subsidies on the ACA Marketplaces, the net premium amount an exchange enrollee pays out-of-pocket depends on their income and the difference in the cost between the benchmark plan (second-lowest silver plan) and the premium for the plan they choose.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) increased and expanded subsidies temporarily for 2021 and 2022 for low- and middle-income individuals and families to purchase health coverage on the ACA Marketplaces. For 2021, some states automatically applied the...