Oregon Health Coverage Sign-Ups Fall as Families Face Higher Premiums and Less Federal Help

The inability of more than 50% of Americans to afford healthcare is mirrored in Oregon, where the number of people who enrolled through the Marketplace in 2026 has dropped by 21,316.

Enrollment in Marketplace Dropped by 15% in Oregon This Year

According to the Oregon Health Authority, the 118,372 people who enrolled in the Marketplace (which offers private health insurance for people not covered by their employer) represents a 15% decrease compared to 2025.

The Marketplace enrollment highlights the growing challenges facing consumers since the expiration of enhanced federal premium tax credits.

This has resulted in higher costs for many consumers, particularly middle-income households that no longer qualify for the same level of financial support, and have been particularly hard-hit.

Marketplace enrollment partners have reported that increased premiums forced some individuals and families to either forgo enrollment or to select plans with higher out-of-pocket expenses.

41% of the Nation is “Cost Insecure”

Since the West Health-Gallup Affordability Index was launched five years ago, the number of Americans who can afford healthcare has dropped from 61% to 49%, with 41% of the population categorized as “cost insecure.” According to Gallup, 2.8 million Americans dropped out of the “cost Secure” category in 2025.

The Cost of Healthcare is Even Affecting Six-Figure Income Households

Affordability gaps have even been felt among households with six-figure annual incomes. About a third of American households with incomes between $120,000 and $179,999 have also been labeled “cost insecure,” as have one in five respondents earning over $180,000 annually.

Concern about the affordability of prescription drugs has risen steadily from 30% in 2021 to 42% in 2025. Concerns about paying for needed healthcare services have followed a similar pattern. Rising from 42% to 51% over the same period.

As a growing share of Americans worry about their ability to pay healthcare costs in the year ahead, the Gallup revelations underscore a broad and increasing sense of financial strain tied to the cost of this essential industry.