Affordable Care Act - OBAMACARE: News
Jump down to recent ACA developments, below.
BACKGROUND: What Are “Enhanced ACA Subsidies?” The Affordable Care Act provides federal tax credits to subsidize the purchase of private health insurance for individuals and families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. Enrollees select private health insurance plans offered through “marketplace exchanges.” The original ACA subsidies were available for people who have incomes up to 400% of the poverty line. In 2021, Congress enacted “enhanced” ACA subsidies to expand coverage during the pandemic—more than doubling the number of ACA enrollments to over 24 million. The enhancements were originally enacted for two years, but were later extended through 2025 and expired December 31, 2025—leaving the original, more limited, ACA subsidies in place for 2026.
Recent ACA Developments:
Mon, May 25, 2026:
RFK Jr. and States at odds over cause of Obamacare’s enrollment declines. Trump administration officials point to their work on fraud as the reason for dropoffs while states and insurers blame higher premiums. - Politico
Tues, May 19, 2026:
What We Know So Far About 2026 ACA Marketplace Enrollment, Premiums, and Deductibles - KFF
Tues, May 12, 2026:
One in Five HealthCare.gov Enrollees Dropped Insurance Coverage This Year. More Americans are dropping out of health care marketplaces than usual, after Congress let pandemic-era Affordable Care Act subsidies lapse. - NOTUS
Fri, May 1, 2026:
Since Congress Let Obamacare Subsidies Expire, Millions Are Dropping Coverage. Americans can’t afford the higher health insurance premiums that resulted from Republicans’ refusal to extend federal tax credits. - NYT
Cigna’s exit adds to ObamaCare marketplace upheaval - Hill
Fri, April 10, 2026:
Affordability Is the Issue Now, But Look for the Uninsured to Make a Comeback - KFF
Wed, April 8, 2026:
According to new CMS data, enrollment in Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans was down by 5%, or roughly 1.2 million people, in 2026 compared to 2025 - AB
Fri, March 20, 2026:
How New Mexico Became an Obamacare Success Story. Affordable Care Act enrollment has dropped across the United States since the enhanced federal subsidies expired. But New Mexico has record numbers of people signing up. -
New Mexico (has) fully replaced the expired federal subsidies with state money, the only state to do so. Without the subsidies, an estimated 27,000 New Mexicans would have dropped their insurance. Instead, sign-ups have surged, with an additional 10,000 people now covered. - NYT
Thurs, Feb 26, 2026:
New A.C.A. Plans Could Increase Family Deductibles to $31,000. The Trump administration is proposing Obamacare plans that it says will lower health insurance premiums. But critics warn they would make care unaffordable. - NYT
Tues, Feb 17, 2026:
Why Congress failed to reach an Obamacare deal - Politico
(T)he federal government released the tally for ACA open enrollment. Signups for 2026 have declined by more than 1 million people compared to last year. Experts expect the number to keep growing.
Thurs, Feb 12, 2026:
Roughly 1 in 5 enrollees in Pennsylvania’s Obamacare marketplace dropped their health coverage for 2026, as premiums spiked following the expiration of enhanced federal subsidies. - Governing.com
Tues, Feb 10, 2026:
Obamacare Sign-Ups Drop, but the Extent Won’t Be Clear for Months - KFF
Fri, Fri 6, 2026:
ACA Fraud Is Real. It’s Time to Get Serious About Fixing It - Bloomberg
Wed, Wed 4, 2026:
Negotiators Say Talks to Restore ACA Subsidies Likely Dead. New, higher health-insurance bills are kicking in for many households. - WSJ
Fri, Jan 30, 2026:
Efforts to extend ACA subsidies stall in Congress as GOP reignites old arguments. - NPR
Thurs, Jan 29, 2026:
ACA talks have stalled - NOTUS
Wed, Jan 28, 2026:
Republicans set to make ‘best and final’ Obamacare offer, Moreno says… Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who has been involved with the talks, appeared optimistic about the chances of a deal, telling reporters Wednesday he expected to receive text later in the day. - Politico
Obamacare enrollment drops after enhanced premium subsidies expire - CNN
Tues, Jan 27, 2026:
Six states are stepping up their efforts to offset the cost of Affordable Care Act plans after a lapse in federal funding left millions of Americans facing higher premiums. California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts and New Mexico have all ramped up their state-funded ACA subsidies for 2026. - CBS
Many Obamacare enrollees have switched to cheaper bronze plans. Here’s why that could be risky. Bronze plans — the lowest tier of Affordable Care Act coverage — offer lower premiums but higher out-of-pocket costs. - NBC
Mon, Jan 26, 2026:
Health Insurance Is Now More Expensive Than the Mortgage for These Americans. Monthly health-insurance bills are rocketing higher for middle-income earners who rely on Obamacare - WSJ
Obamacare premiums are skyrocketing. New Englanders feel the crunch. - The Boston Globe
Thurs, Jan 22, 2026:
FAQs on ACA exchanges and subsidies from Pew Research Center:
What kind of health insurance plans are available on the exchanges?
What were the enhanced subsidies that expired at the end of 2025?
How much does the federal government spend on ACA subsidies?
Thurs, Jan 15, 2026:
Senate bipartisan health care talks on thin ice. Senators left town Thursday sounding pessimistic about any breakthroughs in negotiations to extend expired Obamacare subsidies… Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Thursday when asked about the status of the negotiations: “It doesn’t look like they’re close.” … The White House threw its own curveball in the debate Thursday by unexpectedly releasing its own framework for lowering health care costs that would not include an extension of the subsidies… Sen. Lisa Murkowski said the negotiations “got hung up on what everybody knew Republicans would get hung up on,” a reference to the so-called Hyde amendment that prevents the credits from funding abortion services. - Politico
Democrats make pitch to keep no-premium Obamacare plans. While Republicans believe the plans encourage fraud, Democrats worry that raising premiums will prompt lower-income enrollees to drop coverage. - Politico
Abortion threatens to derail Senate ObamaCare deal - Hill
Final day to select ACA health plans arrives in most states, with no subsidy deal yet - AP
ACA premiums increased by 21.7 percent on average in 2026 — far outpacing expected premium increases in the employer-sponsored insurance market. New federal policies and the expiration of enhanced ACA premium tax credits are the main reasons why marketplace plan premiums increased more than 20 percent in 2026. - The Commonwealth Fund
Trump health care plan doesn’t help people facing skyrocketing ACA premiums - NPR
Tues, Jan 13, 2026:
The bipartisan Senate group working on a compromise deal to revive the lapsed Affordable Care Act subsidies won’t have legislative text ready until the last week of January… The fact that the group is now waiting until after the Senate’s scheduled upcoming recess signals that the negotiators may still be far apart on some of the thorniest issues. - Politico
Initial Obamacare Enrollment Drops by 1.4 Million. That number could increase significantly as more consumers are faced with higher bills brought on by expiring premium subsidies. - NYT
Mon, Jan 12, 2026:
This GOP senator says reviving Obamacare subsidies would be ‘putting America first’. Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno is part of an unlikely new generation of Senate dealmakers. - Politico
Millions of Americans Are Expected To Drop Their Affordable Care Act Plans. - KFF Health News
Sun, Jan 11, 2026:
Trump Says He May Veto Extension of Health Care Subsidies - Bloomberg
Americans take drastic steps to deal with rising Obamacare bills - USA
Fri, Jan 9, 2026:
What renewed ACA subsidies would mean for people facing more expensive health insurance - NPR
Thurs, Jan 8, 2026:
House passes bill (230-196) to extend health care subsidies in defiance of GOP leaders. - AP
House passes ACA subsidy extension as bipartisan negotiations heat up in Senate - STAT
House passes bill extending health care subsidies, bucking GOP leaders - WP
17 Republicans vote to restore lapsed Obamacare subsidies - Politico
Wed, Jan 7, 2026:
US House advances Democratic effort to reinstate healthcare subsidies - Reuters
9 Republicans back Dem effort to revive Obamacare subsidies. The vote put House Republicans on the record for the first time this Congress on the enhanced tax credits that expired at the end of last year. - Politico
Abortion, minimum premiums emerge as sticking points in Senate ObamaCare talks - Hill
Tues, Jan 6, 2026:
Conservatives balk at Trump’s calls to be ‘flexible’ on abortion coverage in health care talks. The president’s remarks come at a tenuous time, as many lawmakers are holding out hope for a compromise bill to extend lapsed Obamacare subsidies. - Politico
Trump tells GOP it’s time to ‘own’ health care while urging ‘flexibility’ on abortion restrictions. The president argued that rising health care costs, particularly prescription drug prices, had given Republicans an opening to compete with Democrats on affordability. - Politico
Trump tells Republicans to be ‘flexible’ on abortion restriction demands in health care - Hill
Thune outlines 3 pieces of possible health care deal. He was detailing what it would take for a proposal to be able to pass the Senate. - Politico
Majority Leader John Thune laid out Tuesday the three components any bipartisan health deal would have to address in order for it to pass the Senate. That includes instituting minimum premium payments and other new restrictions, providing “a bridge to HSAs” including an expansion of the health savings accounts and dealing with the “Hyde issue” — language that limits federal funding for abortions. All three of the ideas are Republican priorities.
ACA subsidy cliff may mean “astronomical tax bills” for many - CNBC
Mon, Jan 5, 2026:
Senators discuss open enrollment extension for compromise health plan. Republican and Democratic senators want to soften the blow of lapsed Obamacare tax credits. - Politico
House looks likely to OK extension for Obamacare subsidies. Here’s what’s next. - MarketWatch
Fri, Jan 2, 2026:
With Obamacare’s Higher Premiums Come Difficult Decisions. As enhanced subsidies expire, many Americans covered under the Affordable Care Act are having trouble paying for insurance. - NYT
Tues, Dec 30, 2025:
Health care fight returns in January with affordability at center. The parties, and even the factions within them, are sharply divided on the path forward. - Roll Call
Thurs, Dec 18, 2025:
Senate leaves for end-of-year recess, Congress will miss deadline to renew ACA tax credits - CNN
Trump acknowledges ACA premiums set to “skyrocket” absent a deal in Congress - CNN
Speaker Johnson was ready to move on from ACA subsidies. But his members had other plans - AP
Wed, Dec 17, 2025:
House Republicans passed their alternative health bill 216-211 (HR 6703).
Bipartisan group discusses using discharged House bill for compromise health plan. Senators joined the Problem Solvers Caucus meeting to strategize about reinstating Obamacare subsidies in January. - Politico
Senators who attended included Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Angus King (I-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio).Moderate GOP rebels plot next steps on ObamaCare subsidies with senators - Hill
Fitzpatrick says GOP leaders demanded ‘poison pill’ to sink ObamaCare push - Hill
House Republicans pass health care plan, 216-211, without re-upping insurance subsidies. A House GOP-authored health care bill passed the chamber Wednesday night but won’t be the final word on the future of the enhanced tax credits... the bill is dead on arrival in the Senate. - Politico
House GOP moderates are now discussing options with their Senate counterparts about a bipartisan compromise bill that could pass both chambers. The lawmakers involved in these talks hope to be able to produce a proposal before the next government funding deadline Jan. 30.There is No Drop-Dead Date for an ACA Tax Credit Extension, But Coverage Losses Will Mount as the Clock Ticks. - KFF
A discharge petition in the House paves the way for a vote on a three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits, which expire on December 31. It’s unclear what a successful vote in the House would mean in the Senate, where a similar extension recently received 51 votes, short of the 60 necessary to pass. And disagreements over adding further restrictions to abortion coverage remain. But a House vote to extend ACA tax credits could put political pressure on senators or further open the door to potential bipartisan compromises. And President Trump is, as always, a wildcard...
The ACA premium subsidies are refundable tax credits, which are calculated on an annual basis. So, an extension could happen even after the deadline to sign up for coverage and be made retroactive to January 1. Open enrollment could also be extended to allow people time to change their plans or allow new people to sign up...
KFF estimates that out-of-pocket premiums will increase 114% on average with expiration of the ACA enhanced tax credits, which is over $1,000 per person on an annual basis.Four centrist Republicans broke with Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday and signed onto a Democratic-led petition that will force a House vote [in January] on extending for three years an enhanced pandemic-era subsidy that lowers health insurance costs for millions of Americans. - AP
Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Robert Bresnahan and Ryan Mackenzie, all from Pennsylvania, and Mike Lawler of New York signed on Wednesday morning, pushing it to the magic number of 218. A vote on the subsidy bill could come as soon as January under House rules.
Tues, Dec 16, 2025:
Why Both Republicans and Democrats Are Wrong About Health Care - Orszag
The House GOP Plays It Safe on Health Care - AEI / Capretta
Cost Leads Americans’ Top-of-Mind Healthcare Concerns - Gallup
White House weighs risks of a health care fight as ACA subsidies set to expire. - Politico
Republican tensions boil over as ObamaCare deadline approaches - Hill
House GOP will not allow amendment vote to extend ObamaCare subsidies - Hill
House Republican leaders ditch vote on ACA funding, all but ensuring premiums will rise. - NBC
Some Republicans who want to extend the subsidies have not ruled out signing onto a “discharge petition” by Democrats to end-run Johnson and force a vote on a clean three-year extension of ACA subsidies.... Asked if he’s worried that moderate Republicans may sign onto Democrats’ discharge petition, Johnson told NBC News, “I don’t worry about anything.”Congressional Budget Office released their estimates of the effects of the House GOP healthcare bill, projecting that “the bill would decrease the number of people with health insurance by an average of 100,000 over the 2027-2035 period and lower gross benchmark premiums by 11 percent, on average, through 2035.” However, the CBO report does not examine the bill in its legislative context, which is, as an alternative to extending the expiring ACA enhanced subsidies. CBO has already estimated that failing to extend the enhanced subsidies would decrease the number of people with health insurance by 3.8 million through 2035, and 2.2 million in 2026 alone, and KFF estimates that failing to extend enhanced subsidies would more than double average out-of-pocket premium payments for enrollees (current ACA enrollment is 24 million).
Mon, Dec 15, 2025:
Amendment to extend ObamaCare subsidies hits roadblock - Hill
Democrats say they need leadership green light to back GOP bills to extend ACA tax credits - Hill
Sticker Shock: Obamacare Customers Confront Premium Spikes as Congress Dithers - KFF
Johnson’s health bill hits snag with GOP moderate drama - Punchbowl News
Sat, Dec 13, 2025:
Fri, Dec 12, 2025: [UPDATED 12/14]
As reported by Politico, House Republican leaders unveiled the text of their GOP health care package Friday evening, which they plan to put on the Floor this week. The House GOP plan includes:
“Association Health Plans“ (AHPs) allowing small employers to band together to purchase coverage;
New transparency requirements for pharmacy benefit managers (around their contracts with drug manufacturers, their rebate payments to these manufacturers, and the net prices paid for the various products covered by their formularies) to help control costs. (PBMs negotiate drug prices on behalf of insurers and large employees and are often blamed by pharmaceutical companies and Congress for high prices);
The restoration of payments to health insurers for cost-sharing reduction which Trump canceled during his first term (link HERE for additional background);
Oklahoma GOP Rep. Hern’s legislation allowing employers to offer workers tax-advantaged funds (”CHOICE Accounts”) to pay for individual health insurance through the ACA-regulated exchanges, in lieu of offering a traditional group plan;
“Stop-loss” insurance aimed at expanding access of self-insured small businesses to insurance policies protecting against catastrophic health costs from a few employees (opposed by some due to restrictions on state regulation).
Vote on Enhanced Subsidies Extension: In a concession to a small group of GOP moderates, Speaker Johnson will allow a vote on an amendment to the GOP bill to extend the expiring enhanced ACA subsidies.
However, House Dems will oppose the GOP bill: AP reported later Friday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said: “House Republicans have introduced toxic legislation that is completely unserious, hurts hardworking America taxpayers and is not designed to secure bipartisan support. If the bill reaches the House floor, I will strongly oppose it.”
Two other possibilities for House action prior to adjournment are discharge petitions that would force House Floor votes on one or two bipartisan proposals to extend the expiring enhanced ACA subsidies:
One bipartisan petition, filed by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., would force a vote on a bill that includes a two-year subsidy extension and contains provisions designed to combat fraud in the ACA marketplace. There are also restrictions on PBMs, according to AP.
Another bipartisan petition from Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., would force a vote on a one-year ACA enhanced subsidy extension and would include new income caps limiting who qualifies for the enhanced credit, according to AP.
NOTE: In order to succeed, the discharge petitions would have to be supported by all House Democrats. “We’re actively reviewing those two discharge petitions and we’ll have more to say about it early next week,” House Democratic Leader Jeffries said.
The Senate, last Thursday, already voted down a Democratic bill to extend the enhanced ACA subsidies, and voted down a Senate GOP bill to shift funding from the enhanced subsidies to Health Savings Accounts--which would have provided $1,000 per year for adult enrollees, or $1,500 for those ages 50 to 64, (not nearly enough to purchase insurance or cover a major medical expense).
The House and Senate both plan to adjourn for the holidays this week. If the House and Senate do not pass identical measures (with President Trump’s agreement to sign), enhanced ACA subsidies will expire December 31, 2025.
Speaker Johnson unveils health care plan as divided Republicans scramble for alternative - AP
House GOP unveils health care bill without ObamaCare subsidies extension - Hill
Thur, Dec 11 2025:
The Senate, in a 51-48 vote (short of the required 60 votes) failed to advance the Democratic bill to extend for 3 years the expiring ACA enhanced subsidies, S. 3385 - Senate Floor
The Senate, in a 51-48 vote (short of the required 60 votes) failed to advance the Republican bill to shift ACA enhanced subsidies into Health Savings Accounts, S. 3386 - Senate Floor
Senate rejects extension of health care subsidies as costs are set to rise for millions - AP
Showdown Over Healthcare Vote Is a Sign of What’s to Come - WSJ
4 GOP senators break ranks to vote for Democratic extension of ObamaCare subsidies - Hill
The Senate voted down dueling health proposals. Here’s what’s at stake for Americans - AP
Wed, Dec 10. 2025:
House GOP health care package will exclude ACA subsidy extension - Hill
Battleground Republicans clash with hard-liners over ACA subsidies as party talks strategy - CNN
Bipartisan lawmakers launch last-minute bid to force vote on extending ACA subsidies - WP
Frustrated Republicans move to force Obamacare vote as warnings mount about the midterms. It’s not clear if House Democrats will coalesce behind the bipartisan two-year subsidy extension proposed by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and Jared Golden. - Politico
Mapping the Political Fallout of GOP Health-Care Cuts - Bloomberg
Tues, Dec 9, 2025:
Senate heads toward dueling partisan votes on health care, with each likely to fail - AP
Moderate House Republicans introduce long-shot ACA subsidy extension bill - Hill
Trump’s Idea for Health Accounts Has Been Tried. Millions Have Ended Up in Debt. - KFF
Out-of-Pocket Pain From High-Deductible Plans Means Skimping on Care - KFF
Mon, Dec 8, 2025:
Senate Republicans float competing health care plans - The Hill
Hawley’s non-solution on health care. A proposed tax deduction won’t bring down prices. - WP
Fri, Dec 5, 2025:
Health Savings Accounts, Backed by GOP, Cover Fancy Saunas but Not Insurance Premiums - KFF
Senate ACA proposal would add $300 billion to deficits - CRFB
Thurs, Dec 4, 2025:
Wed, Dec 3, 2025:
Tues, Dec 2, 2025:
GOP pessimism grows over any deal to extend expiring health care subsidies - Hill
Enhanced Obamacare premium tax credits expire at the end of the month. Most House Republicans don’t want to extend these subsidies. But Johnson’s leadership team understands that there are vulnerable House GOP lawmakers who badly want a vote on something to combat the idea that Republicans are indifferent to massive spikes in health care premiums... Here’s the rub, however — Hill Republicans have no health care plan. Even if they come up with a proposal — boosting health savings accounts and broadening insurance pools, for instance — it won’t be nearly as broad as Obamacare or impact premiums in the short term. There’s no guarantee the House can pass it, or the Senate will take it up. - Axios
Mon, Dec 1, 2025:
Senate barrels toward failure on health care - Politico
Schumer says Democrats are still discussing what to include in health care bill - CNN
Jeffries says Johnson ‘tanked’ Trump’s health care proposal - Politico
Congress faces a packed December agenda and big decisions on healthcare subsidies - FNN
One of the challenges in explaining the impact of enhanced ACA tax credits expiring on premium payments is that it varies so much, depending on income, age, family size, and geography. The average increase would be 114%, or $1,016, but there is a wide range. - KFF
An individual ACA enrollee making $25,000 would see their annual out-of-pocket premium increase about 12 fold, from $98 to $1,165, if the enhanced ACA premium tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year. A 60 year old in Charleston, WV making $65,000 would see their annual out-of-pocket premium increase from $5,525 to $27,864 if the enhanced ACA tax credits expire. The same 60 year old living in Charlottesville, VA would see their out-of-pocket premium go from $5,525 to $12,616.
Sun, Nov 30, 2025:
Wed, Nov 26, 2025:
Why health savings accounts aren’t the fix Republicans hope for. The GOP considers diverting money from premium subsidies into tax-free accounts, but critics warn of financial risk for patients. - WP
health economists say the vast majority of these individual accounts — already used by tens of millions of Americans — do not contain sufficient money to pay for serious health expenses. Even boosting them with new federal contributions would not build enough reserves to pay for expensive care for an emergency or major illness if needed
Tues, Nov 25, 2025:
Mon, Nov 24 2025:
White House postpones expected unveiling of new health care cost proposal - CNN
Trump faces GOP blowback on health plan - The Hill
Republicans push Obamacare tax credit alternatives as enrollment deadline looms - CNBC
Sun, Nov 23, 2025:
White House to pitch a Trump Obamacare extension with limits. Republicans have been eager for Trump to reveal his preferences on expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies. - Politico
The White House expects to soon unveil a health policy framework that includes a two-year extension of Obamacare subsidies due to expire at the end of next month and new limits on eligibility, according to three people granted anonymity to discuss the unannounced plans.
Fri, Nov 21, 2025:
Bipartisan House lawmakers float two-year ACA subsidy extension - The Hill
The bill would extend the enhanced tax credits through 2027 for enrollees earning less than $200,000 per year for a family of four. The bill would phase out the subsidies for enrollees earning between $200,000 and $300,000 for a family of four... The bill would codify the federal government’s authority to remove bad actors from ACA marketplaces... It would also extend open enrollment to May 15, as a recognition that many would-be recipients may have been discouraged from purchasing health insurance by sticker shock over high premiums.This House GOP centrist is plotting a new health care bill aimed at winning over Trump. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick wants to pair an extension of Obamacare subsidies with new flexibility for health savings accounts. - Politico
Panic Tears Through U.S. as Health Insurance Costs Spike - Prospect
Thurs, Nov 20, 2025:
Breaking down the health care fight with Cassidy - Punchbowl News
Wed, Nov 19, 2025:
Fact Check on ACA subsidies - FactCheck.org
Tues, Nov 18, 2025:
Mon, Nov 17, 2025:
Trump says he’s talking to Democrats about direct health care payment plan - Hill
The Real Fix for ObamaCare. The problem isn’t the size of the subsidies. It’s their structure. - WSJ
Sun, Nov 16, 2025:
Sat, Nov 15, 2025:
Fri, Nov 14, 2025:
Thurs, Nov 13, 2025:
Tues, Nov 11, 2025:
Sat, Oct 18, 2025:
Tues, Oct 14, 2025:
Sat, Oct 11, 2025:
Wed, Sept 24, 2025:
Tues, Sept 23, 2025:
Wed, Sept 17. 2025:
Tues, Sept 16, 2025:
Mon, Sept 15, 2025:
This House Republican is no troublemaker. But she’s sticking her neck out for Obamacare subsidies. Rep. Jen Kiggans has stepped into a political minefield in her quest to secure an extension of enhanced health care tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year. - Politico
Wed, Aug 10, 2025:
Fri, Aug 8, 2025:
Fri, July 18, 2025:
Wed, July 2, 2025:
Tues, July 1, 2025:
Tues, May 20, 2025:
Wed, May 9, 2025:
Tues, March 11, 2025:
Mon, Feb 3, 2025:
Map illustrates how ACA premiums would rise by district if enhanced subsidies expire next year - KFF
Wed, Jan 15, 2025:
Thurs, Jan 9, 2025:
Wed, Jan 8, 2025:
Fri, Dec 6, 2024:
With or without ACA repeal, ACA and Medicaid cuts are looming - KFF
Dems propose deal to GOP extending ACA subsidies by a year - WashPost
“Without a permanent extension, CBO estimates, the number of uninsured people will rise by 2.2 million in 2026, by 3.7 million in 2027, and by 3.8 million, on average, in each year over the 2026-2034 period,” Phillip L. Swagel, the CBO’s director, wrote to lawmakers.
Thurs, Dec 5, 2024:
Fri, Nov 22, 2024:
Thurs, Nov 14, 2024:
Mon, May 13, 2024:
Former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s claim that “Obamacare massively increased the cost of health care in Ameria” earns 3 pinnochios from Fact Checker.
Wed, Mar. 13, 2024:
The Hill reported Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell “threw cold water over the long-held Republican aim of repealing the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), saying this week that fight is ‘largely over.’” Former President Trump has repeatedly called for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act without offering an alternative to enable Americans with preexisting conditions and without employer coverage to purchase health insurance.
Wed, Jan. 24, 2024:
CNN reports that “a record 21.3 million Americans flocked to Affordable Care Act coverage for 2024, further cementing the law’s place in the nation’s health care landscape.”
Affordable Care Act Overview:
The Affordable Care Act was enacted in March 2010 to close a large gap in U.S. healthcare, with millions of Americans lacking access to affordable health insurance. The ACA expanded access by: (1) enabling states to expand Medicaid coverage (with 90 percent federal funding) to people earning slightly above the federal poverty level; and (2) providing subsidies to purchase private health insurance for people with low and middle incomes who are not eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance). In 2025, more than 46 million people have coverage through ACA subsidies or Medicaid expansion. Key facts about the ACA:
The ACA subsidies, delivered as tax credits, are used to purchase private insurance through online health insurance “exchanges” established by the states, or through the federal exchange in states that have not established their own. In 2025, the income eligibility cap for subsidies is $60,600 for individuals and $128,600 for a family of four. In 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) expanded eligibility for, and increased, ACA health insurance subsidies, which were extended through 2025 by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Strong public support: In 2025, 64 percent of U.S. adults hold a favorable view of the ACA.
ACA Protects people with pre-existing conditions: The ACA prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage or charging higher premiums due to pre-existing conditions—one of the key reasons that people lacked coverage prior to the ACA.
ACA Prohibits Lifetime Limits on Benefits: The ACA prohibits insurance plans from capping lifetime coverage of essential benefits to protect people with chronic and acute health conditions.
ACA Capped out-of-pocket costs: All policies must provide an annual maximum out-of-pocket payment cap. After the cap is reached, all remaining costs are paid by the insurer.
ACA requires that plans not charge for preventive care, vaccinations, and medical screenings such as mammograms and colonoscopies.
ACA provided incentives for small employers to provide health insurance with tax credits up to 50% of their employer’s contribution.
ACA expanded coverage to young people by allowing adult children to remain on their parents’ plans until age 26.
CRS: Supreme Court Dismisses Challenge to the Affordable Care Act (Jun 2021)
CRS: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA): Resources for Frequently Asked Questions