For hundreds of thousands of people across Massachusetts, the fight at the center of the government shutdown carries frightening and immediate consequences: Can they continue to afford government-backed health insurance, or will they face skyrocketing premiums that could shatter their financial security?

Since 2021, expanded federal subsidies have made it possible for 337,000 people in Massachusetts to more easily afford health insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector, the state’s version of the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

Democrats want to make the subsidies, which are due to expire at the end of the year, permanent.

Republicans have proposed a one-year extension but say the government must be funded before they would negotiate further. The Congressional Budget O

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