U.S.TOP STORY

Health insurance premiums set to spike next month

Premiums for some Americans could hit their highest levels in decades, and workplace plans are affected too; the bill arrives before the ballots do.

On air: Hank Ledger, Vera Bullock and Dale Bearman on Weekend Edition
Published 6:32 AM ET, Saturday, October 17, 2026

Photo: Bash222 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

▶ As it aired · U.S.

Watch it as it aired: Hank Ledger, Vera Bullock and Dale Bearman on this story, from Weekend Edition at 6:32 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are The Hill's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Bash222 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Health insurance — Photo: Bash222 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

First reported by The Hill: “Health insurance is the sleeper midterms issue: Why premiums are spiking”.
Covered on BBN on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 6:32 AM ET on Weekend Edition, by Hank Ledger, Vera Bullock and Dale Bearman.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

The HillHealth insurance is the sleeper midterms issue: Why premiums are spiking

What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorAmericans are bracing for much higher health insurance costs next month, on Affordable Care Act plans and through work, with some premiums possibly the highest in decades, and others showing up as bigger copays and deductibles.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorSo the sleeper issue of the midterms is the one that sleeps in your wallet.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorCandidates will be talking about it, and that's something.

▶ Watch BBN liveMore U.S. →

More Shorts

All videos →

▶ Short · U.S.Four Seconds of Elevator Silence Feels Like a LifetimeMore about this Short
▶ Short · U.S.The Most Powerful Small Talk Phrase Nobody Can ExplainMore about this Short
▶ Hot Take or Not · U.S.LeBron and the 76ers: Maxey Is the Real GM, Sandwich LosesAbout this segment
▶ As it aired · U.S.FTC settles Zillow and Redfin antitrust case hours before trialRead the story
Photo: Martin Wagner et al. · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
▶ As it aired · U.S.Scientists may have found how microplastics harm the bodyRead the story
▶ Interviews · U.S.Secret Service Deputy Exit: Anonymous Source Is Guarding a Parking ReceiptAbout this segment
Photo: Ocdp · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
▶ As it aired · U.S.Family business behind famed Texas fair corny dogsRead the story
▶ As it aired · U.S.Microplastics React With Water, a New Study SaysRead the story
▶ Interviews · U.S.California Ballot Officials Count Votes in a Dark Closet to Stay CluelessAbout this segment
▶ As it aired · U.S.Chick-fil-A Is Releasing A New Sauce For The First Time In 10 YearsRead the story