Subsidies, Savings, and Stalemates: What Congress’s Year-End Gridlock Means for Health Plans in 2026

The new year is fast approaching, and with it, the perennial talk of an end-of-year health package in Congress. These bills don’t always materialize, but they’re always debated. This year is no different. Following the longest US government shutdown in history, observers questioned whether legislators had the political will to negotiate another large legislative package right away. Undeterred, Congress began circulating proposals, and the administration teased a policy on health

Expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits (subsidies) for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace enrollees on December 31 is the most pressing issue. They originated as COVID-19 relief in...