Overview
- Enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits are set to expire on Dec. 31 unless Congress acts, and KFF estimates roughly 22 million subsidized enrollees would face average out-of-pocket premium increases of about 114 percent.
- States are warning of sharp hikes based on finalized filings: Illinois projects a 78 percent average increase, while Colorado says premiums for about 225,000 people will double on average with an estimated 75,000 dropping coverage.
- Other exchanges report steep impacts, including average increases of about 35 percent in Maryland despite state aid, roughly 102 percent in Pennsylvania with about a third expected to leave the market, and about 75 percent in Idaho where enrollment opened Oct. 15.
- State exchanges and insurers have prepared dual rate sets and contingency plans, but leaders say a late deal would require days of reprogramming and could force temporary pauses to update plan prices and notices.
- Senate Democrats pressed CMS to open HealthCare.gov window-shopping and criticized guidance making premium details in notices optional, while the shutdown-linked stalemate over extending the subsidies continues into the Nov. 1 start of sign-ups.