Deductibles

Throughout the history of Obamacare, the news has always centered on the monthly premium cost but that left the out-of-pocket cost, which primarily involved the annual deductible, out of the discussion. First off, 92% of participants receive subsidies and 60% are enrolled in the Silver Plan. This includes people whose incomes are between 100% ($32,000) and 400% ($128,000) of the poverty level. The annual out of pocket cost for a single person will increase to $10,600 (up from $9.200 in 2025), and for the family plan up to $21,200 from $18,400. The average cost for monthly premiums after subsidies is $120 which is only a small part of the out-of-pocket cost which includes annual deductibles. Very low-income people can qualify for zero cost healthcare but that is under Medicaid not Obamacare. For example, using the Silver Plan A family of four with an income of $50,000 will pay, after subsidies, $100 per month but have a $7,000 annual deductible. If the income is $80,000 the monthly cost would be $200 but the annual deductible would rise to $10,000. Just as when Obamacare first came out, the news is all about monthly premium and people are upset when they see the annual deductible, which many don’t know about until they have their first claim. This is not only poor reporting but could be considered dishonest reporting.