Nearly 10% of people insured under ACA health insurance saw premiums ____ this year after subsidies were cut.

• A. dropped
• B. rose
• C. remained the same
• D. fluctuated

Answer: (A)

The thing being tested is how subsidies affect the amount people actually pay for ACA plans. Subsidies lower the cost, but when subsidies are cut, not everyone ends up paying more—some people still see lower prices because insurers may offer cheaper plans, or people switch to plans with lower base premiums, or plan redesigns reduce the sticker price for certain options. The statement says nearly 10% saw their premiums drop this year even after subsidies were cut, which reflects that minority of enrollees who ended up with a lower price due to those changes. The other options don’t match that described outcome: premiums rising would contradict the note about a subset experiencing a drop; remaining the same or fluctuating would not align with the specific claim of a drop for nearly 10%.