Overview
- The temporary expansion of subsidies under the Affordable Care Act ended on December 31, 2025.
- Consumers are expected to face sharply higher out-of-pocket expenses starting in January 2026, with average costs possibly more than doubling.
- Nearly 22.4 million people—about 7% of the U.S. population—received the enhanced assistance in 2025, according to U.S. think tanks cited in the reports.
- Democrats advanced a three-year extension in the Senate, but the proposal was defeated as most Republicans opposed it.
- Rising premiums and cost sharing are viewed as potential factors in the outcome of the U.S. midterm elections in November.