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1h ago

U.S. Government Shuts Down in Clash Over ACA Subsidy Extension

Democrats insist on fast action to preserve expanded marketplace aid before open enrollment.

House Democrats prepare to speak on the steps of the Capitol to insist that Republicans include an extension of expiring health care benefits as part of a government funding compromise, in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
People sign up for health insurance through Covered California at the Asian Health Services offices in Oakland in January 2017. Nearly 1.7 million Californians could soon face steep increases in Covered California premiums if Congress does not extend federal subsidies.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., turns to Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, while speaking with reporters as the government lurches toward a shutdown if the Senate does not pass a House measure that would extend federal funding for seven weeks, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Overview

  • KFF estimates that subsidized enrollees’ average annual out‑of‑pocket premiums would more than double next year if the enhanced credits lapse, putting roughly 22–24 million marketplace consumers at risk.
  • Insurers’ proposed 2026 filings point to a median premium increase near 18%, with analysts warning that higher costs could drive healthier people out of the market and worsen risk pools.
  • Senate Democrats blocked a stopgap funding bill as they press for an immediate extension of the enhanced ACA tax credits and a reversal of Medicaid cuts in the summer “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
  • Republican leaders say Congress should reopen the government first and take up health‑care negotiations afterward, though some in the party have signaled openness to addressing the credits.
  • The Congressional Budget Office projects roughly 10 million more people could become uninsured over the next decade under recent Medicaid and related policy changes unless they are revised.