By Amina Niasse, Nathan Layne and Andy Sullivan

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Americans shopping for 2026 Obamacare health insurance plans are facing a more than doubling of monthly premiums on average and are likely to postpone signing up in hopes of a last-minute reprieve, or walk away, health experts say.

COVID-19 pandemic-era subsidies, due to expire at year-end, are at the center of the month-long U.S. government shutdown, with the potential to affect election outcomes and increase the rate of U.S. uninsured.

The subsidies helped double Obamacare enrollment to 24 million since they were put in place in 2021.

Enrollment opens on Saturday for the plans created by President Barack Obama’s signature 2010 Affordable Care Act. Enrollees on average will see premiums rise about 114%, wit

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