Overview
- The 2026 enrollment window runs Nov. 1 through Jan. 15, with a Dec. 15 deadline for coverage that starts Jan. 1.
- Insurers have filed sizable base-rate increases for 2026—about 26% to 30% on average nationally—with steeper jumps reported in some states including Kentucky and Maryland.
- If the enhanced premium tax credits lapse at year-end, KFF estimates average monthly payments would rise roughly 114%, and the CBO projects 2.2 million people could lose coverage.
- The government shutdown has delayed a vote on extending the credits, as Democrats push to include an extension in funding legislation and Republicans call for reopening the government before negotiating.
- Enrollment advisers report shoppers delaying decisions or reconsidering coverage, with middle‑income households above 400% of the federal poverty level and older adults expected to face the largest increases.