Particle.news
Download on the App Store
39 ARTICLES
·
3h ago

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

KFF warns marketplace enrollees could face average premium increases of about 114% in 2026 if the enhanced tax credits lapse.

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)
Image

Overview

  • Senate Democrats rejected a House stopgap that excluded an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, triggering the Oct. 1 shutdown.
  • Republican leaders say Congress should reopen the government before negotiating on the subsidies, while some in the party signal openness to extending them.
  • Democrats are also seeking to reverse Medicaid changes in the summer “mega-bill,” which the Congressional Budget Office projects would raise the uninsured by roughly 10 million over a decade.
  • KFF estimates roughly 22–24 million marketplace customers would see premiums more than double in 2026 without the enhanced credits, as insurers have proposed median 2026 rate hikes near 18%.
  • With open enrollment beginning Nov. 1, consumers are starting to receive premium notices and insurers are finalizing 2026 rates, heightening pressure for a swift resolution.