Newer! Bigger! Unaffordable!
Move over Blue Monday. Red Friday’s here.
Americans start 2026 with sticker shock. “Millions of Americans will face higher healthcare costs starting January 1, 2026, as enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expire after Congress failed to extend them,” reports Scripps News service:
The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates annual out-of-pocket premium payments for subsidized enrollees will increase by an average of 114%, though the exact amount varies widely depending on individual income, state and other factors.
Anecdotally, I’ve heard of some people’s premiums rising 2x, 3x, and even as much as 8x. Higher than some mortgage payments.
It’s not as if Democrats didn’t try to stop this (CBS News):
Democrats forced a 43-day government shutdown over the issue. Moderate Republicans called for a solution to save their 2026 political aspirations. President Trump floated a way out, only to back off after conservative backlash.
In the end, no one’s efforts were enough to save the subsidies before their expiration date. A House vote expected in January could offer another chance, but success is far from guaranteed.
The subsidies drove ACA enrollment to record levels. Now, those who could afford coverage last year have the rug safety net pulled out from under them. The official enrollment period for 2026 ends Jan. 15, although it already has expired in some states.
The Hill notes:
Young people will see the greatest rise in uninsurance rates compared to other age groups, according to Matthew Buettgens, senior fellow in the health policy division at the Urban Institute.
Among racial groups, Black non-Hispanic people are projected to see the largest increase in uninsurance rates, with white non-Hispanic people following closely behind at 25 percent.
Across the income spectrum, people making between 250 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level — those who fall in the middle of the eligible population — will see the largest percent gain in uninsurance, projected at 26 percent.
[…]
Experts estimate somewhere between 2.2 million and 7.3 million people will decide against renewing their insurance because of the price hike.
So thank a Republican politician every chance you get.