Dive Brief:

Premiums for health plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces could more than double in 2026 if more generous financial assistance for enrollees expires at the end of the year, according to an analysis published Tuesday by health policy researcher KFF.

If Congress allows the enhanced premium tax credits to lapse, subsidized enrollees would see their premiums rise from an average of $888 in 2025 to $1,904 in 2026 — a $114% increase, KFF found.

The increased subsidies are at the center of a funding fight between Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill that shut down the federal government early Wednesday. Democrat lawmakers opposed spending legislation that wouldn’t extend the premium tax credits.

Dive Insight:

The more generous subsidies, first enacted in 2021 amid

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