Overview
- The pandemic-era boost to Affordable Care Act premium tax credits ended on December 31, 2025, triggering higher 2026 costs for individual-market enrollees starting today.
- KFF estimates show average annual premiums for subsidized consumers rising roughly from $888 to $1,904, affecting about 22 million people who rely on marketplace plans.
- House members forced a January vote on a three‑year extension, but the Senate previously rejected similar measures and the path to passage remains uncertain.
- People without employer coverage—especially part-time workers, the self-employed, and small-business employees—face the steepest strain, with analysts warning of disproportionate impacts on Black and Latino consumers, early retirees, and some middle‑income households.
- States are exploring limited protections, including proposals like Colorado’s Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise, while 2026 also brings new paid leave programs in some states and stricter voter verification rules that advocates say could burden immigrant communities.