O regon marketplace enrollees are paying an average of $154 more per month for health insurance. The average monthly premium after financial assistance rose from $272 in 2025 to $426 in 2026. This increase was driven by a decrease in advanced premium tax credits, resulting from the expiration of enhanced credits adopted during the pandemic. Congressional Republicans last year opposed efforts to extend those credits.
Related Brief 4h ago
reproductive health policy A federal judge in Oregon has invalidated a law requiring insurance coverage of abortion and contraception, leaving patients in the state facing potential out-of-pocket costs for reproductive care
Patients in Oregon seeking abortion or contraceptive care may now face out-of-pocket costs after a federal judge ruled the state’s law mandating no-cost coverage violates the constitutional rights of anti-abortion group Oregon Right to Life. The law had required all health insurance plans in the state to eliminate deductibles, coinsurance, copayments, and other cost-sharing for abortions, contraceptives, and related services like STI screenings. That protection is now suspended pending further court action. The ruling, issued Tuesday, marks a direct shift in financial risk from insurers to individuals. Insurers may begin imposing cost-sharing requirements immediately, though the full scope of the decision will not be clear until next week. For patients, particularly those relying on private insurance, the change means access to time-sensitive care could now hinge on affordability at the point of service. The judge’s decision rests not on the medical necessity of the services, but on the asserted rights of a nonprofit challenging the mandate. The outcome reframes reproductive health coverage in Oregon as legally contested terrain — where financial access is no longer guaranteed by state law.
As a result, 21,000 fewer people enrolled in the state's online marketplace for 2026. Total enrollment fell to 118,372 people, down from 139,688 in 2025. More than half of those who remained enrolled shifted to bronze plans to avoid higher premiums.
Related Brief 9h ago
employee benefits Workers Use Voluntary Benefits as a Safety Net for High-Deductible Health Plans
Workers are purchasing disability, accident, and permanent life insurance to fill gaps created by higher healthcare costs. Employers are shifting more costs onto workers by increasing copays and deductibles. Accident insurance provides cash benefits that workers can use at their discretion to cover non-medical costs associated with an injury, such as child care and transportation. Some workers are cutting costs by canceling supplemental life insurance policies. However, 15% of workers surveyed by ADP found they declined vision or dental insurance to afford medical insurance.
Bronze plans carry an average deductible of nearly $7,500, which is $2,000 more than the next level down. Enrollees now face higher out-of-pocket costs for routine and preventative health care.
Related Brief 1d ago
retirement planning The long-term care cost gap: why $165,000 isn’t the same for men and women
A 65-year-old woman should expect to pay $73,000 more out of pocket for long-term care than a man the same age. The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College estimates the average woman will face $171,000 in costs, compared to $98,000 for men. The gap stems not from pricing differences but from longevity: women live longer, are more likely to outlive their spouses, and therefore face longer periods without access to free, family-provided care. About half of all long-term care hours are unpaid—delivered by relatives. Men are more likely to have a spouse available to provide that support. Nearly half of men will need no paid care at all. A quarter will use less than a year. Just 29% will require more than a year. Women are far more exposed: 41% will need over a year of paid services, and 14% will require five years or more. The national average of $165,000 is a starting point. It should be increased for those in high-cost regions—especially cities in the Northeast and West Coast—where care prices rise and life expectancy extends, compounding duration and cost. Personal health and family history, particularly of dementia or chronic illness, also raise projected needs. In-home care, assisted living, and nursing homes carry different price tags, and the choice often depends on severity and duration. Savings are the primary funding source. Long-term care insurance offers protection, but the market has contracted. The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program, once a major option for federal employees and retirees, has not accepted new applicants for three years. It is undergoing a financial review after a decade of premium increases eroded its stability.
The Ledger Morning The essential intelligence to start your trading day. Delivered 6:00 AM EST.
Join 50,000+ professionals who start their day with The Digital Ledger.
