A closer look, however, shows that Californians are making concessions to afford staying insured. 

More enrollees are opting for “bronze-level” plans. These plans have lower monthly premium costs but higher deductibles and copays; they cover 60% of medical expenses — leaving enrollees to pay the rest. One in three new enrollees chose bronze plans for 2026, compared to one in four last year, according to Covered California. And 130,000 Californians renewing their coverage switched from a silver or higher-metal tier plan to bronze.

“Many Californians see the value in remaining covered, but they had to make sacrifices and shift to lower-tier plans. We see it as a commitment to health and the value that Covered California provides,” Jessica Altman, Covered California’s executive director said in a statement. 

While bronze-level plans may offer people some peace of mind, the high deductibles and copays tend to discourage people from seeking care, said Miranda Dietz, director of the Health Care Program at the UC Berkeley Labor Center.

“Those out-of-pocket costs do impact people’s decisions to get care, so that’s worrisome as well,” Dietz said. 

People earning above 400% of the federal poverty level — $62,600 for an individual and $128,600 for a family of 4 — no longer qualify for premium assistance after Congress chose not to extend the enhanced subsidies at the end of last year, pushing many to opt for plans with cheaper premiums or drop their marketplace plans entirely. 

Of the 224,000 middle-income enrollees set to renew, 22% cancelled their plans, according to Covered California. New sign ups for people in this income bracket decreased by 59% compared to last year.

Whether those who renewed coverage or newly signed up continue to pay their premiums is another question. A clearer picture of who stays enrolled will emerge around April, Covered California said. 

“Once you actually face the prospect of paying that premium and the stress that puts on your budget, it’s entirely possible that some of those folks may fall off, and the (enrollment) numbers might go down,” Dietz said.

Affording care: a growing stress point 

It’s unknown whether people who cancelled their marketplace health plans are enrolling in other types of insurance. Covered California data from the last five years show that when people terminate their marketplace plan, 10% to 14% of them report becoming uninsured. 

The Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium subsidies, first enacted in 2021 as part of federal COVID-19 response, helped lower the insurance costs for millions of Americans. They especially helped middle-income earners by allowing them to qualify for financial assistance for the first time, capping premiums at 8.5% of income. That help is now gone, and premiums are up an average of 10%.

Lower-income enrollees remain eligible for standard federal premium aid available since ACA marketplaces launched. They also benefit from state help. California allocated $190 million in 2026 to provide state-funded tax credits for people who earn up to 165% of the federal poverty level — $25,823 for an individual or $53,048 for a family of four — averaging about $45 a month per enrollee.The end of the enhanced federal subsidies also come at a time when poll after poll shows health care costs are a growing stress point for people. Seven in 10 Californians say health care expenses place a financial strain on their household, according to a recent survey by the California Health Care Foundation. Four in 10 have medical debt and six in 10 report skipping care. Meanwhile, eight in 10 Californians say making health care affordable is an “extremely” or “very” important priority for state officials and lawmakers in 2026.

The post Californians are staying insured — but settling for health coverage they may not use appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Trump and the GOP promise the legislation will be great for Americans.

Not everyone is celebrating.

Lost in the fiery debate over the bill’s Medicaid funding for the poor is what happens to the millions of working Americans who make too much money to qualify for the federal health insurance program.

Not everyone has employer-sponsored health insurance. Small business owners and their families, gig workers, part-time employees, and full-time workers must purchase plans on the open market if their employers don’t offer health insurance. (Companies with fewer than 50 full-time employees are not required to offer health care benefits.)

Currently, many of these residents rely on Covered California, the state’s Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace. The program allows qualifying residents to purchase private health insurance coverage at federally subsidized rates. The program (referred to as ObamaCare) serves residents whose incomes are too high for Medi-Cal (as Medicaid is known in California).

Roughly 2 million Californians rely on Covered California for health insurance. In the Inland Empire, approximately 22,273 people were enrolled in the program during the first quarter of 2025, according to state figures.

In 2026, however, some Covered California enrollees could see their monthly premiums skyrocket.

Why?

In 2021, Congress expanded financial assistance for the Affordable Care Act. That dramatically reduced monthly health insurance premiums for Covered California enrollees by offering tax credits that can be used to offset the high costs of coverage.

However, those enhanced tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025. The One Big Beautiful Bill did not address enhanced ACA tax credits, and it appears that Trump and the GOP do not intend to extend them.

Nationally, it’s estimated that 5.1 million people currently insured through the Affordable Care Act could lose their health coverage next year, primarily because they will be unable to afford it.

Here’s an example of how that impending expiration affects a Riverside County couple in their early 60s who own a small business and have an annual household income of $176,000.

In 2025, the couple can find health insurance plans on Covered California with premiums starting at approximately $987 per month (covers both of them). However, depending on the plan type they seek (carrier, PPO vs. HMO, low out-of-pocket costs for services, etc.), their monthly premium could be as high $4,177.

Without the enhanced tax credits, the same couple would find health insurance premiums on the Covered California marketplace to be more expensive. Based on 2025 numbers, the costs would start at $1,631 per month for a plan with a high deductible. If they want a plan with low out-of-pocket costs, they can expect to pay as much as $4,822 per month. These figures do not include the anticipated health insurance hikes expected for 2026.

For individuals with significantly lower incomes than the example above, the expected increase in health insurance costs through Covered California will be substantially greater. For example, a couple who currently earn $85,000 between them and who don’t have children or employer-sponsored health coverage are unlikely to receive any break on health insurance starting next year.

For now, they can pay as little as $342 per month for the least expensive insurance plan offered via Covered California, which features a hefty $13,000 annual deductible. Next year, that same plan could cost approximately $1,631 per month — more than a 400% increase. That’s the low end. If they want a plan that offers a lower annual deductible, they can expect to spend around $2,000 per month for the most affordable plans.

In theory, the Republican-led Congress could remedy the impending tax credit expiration before the end of the year. Given that Trump spent most of his first term in office trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act, however, the odds of that appear slim.

Stay tuned.

The post Health Insurance Premiums Expected To Spike For Thousands Of Inland Empire Residents appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.