Overview
- KFF estimates subsidized marketplace enrollees will see average out-of-pocket premiums more than double, rising about 114% without the enhanced credits.
- CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz defended letting the temporary pandemic aid end, saying the program returns to its pre‑2021 design.
- Several House Republicans joined Democrats on a discharge petition intended to force a floor vote on extending or replacing the assistance early next month.
- President Trump says he will meet with insurers to press for lower rates, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association signaled willingness to discuss cost reductions.
- CMS reports roughly 15.6 million sign-ups on the federal exchange in December as a GAO report flags significant subsidy fraud risks and conservative analysts allege widespread improper enrollments.