Overview
- The enhanced pandemic-era premium tax credits are set to lapse on December 31 as open enrollment proceeds and many 2026 filings point to steep increases for millions of enrollees.
- Senate leaders promised a December floor vote, and the Finance Committee will convene a key hearing on health care costs Wednesday as negotiators explore a path to extend support.
- Republicans are advancing alternatives that would send money directly to consumers through cash or pre-funded health spending accounts, echoing President Donald Trump’s push to shift funds away from insurer-paid subsidies.
- House prospects remain uncertain, with leadership opposing renewal even as moderates from competitive districts back a one-year extension and request bipartisan talks.
- Analyses warn of sharp cost hikes and coverage losses if credits expire, with estimates ranging from average premium increases near 75% to a Congressional Budget Office projection of about 4.2 million more uninsured over the next decade.