No it wasnt, unless you are talking about the catastrophic plans that didnt cover much. In 1980 insurance premiums averaged a little over $1000 per person per year. By 2000, it was about $5000 per person per year, by 2008 it was about $8000 per person. Since the ACA was signed, it has gone up about $1400 per person. SO it is still going up, but but prior to the ACA it was going up anywhere from about 6% to 10% per year. Since the ACA it is going up between 2.5-5.5 per year on average.
The healthcare issue didnt come out of nowhere. In fact, the ACA is pretty similar to the plan Bob Dole ran on in 96. Plus, any plan that doesnt cover pre-existing conditions made it difficult for some people to get insurance period. It made it difficult for some people to change jobs since they would have to find an employer offering the same policy as well.
https://www.thebalance.com/causes-of-rising-healthcare-costs-4064878