Affordable Care Act Enrollment Window Closes Amid Uncertainty
The opportunity for Americans to enroll in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mostly closed today, leaving many uncertain as Congress deliberates on whether to extend tax subsidies aimed at reducing the cost of insurance under Obamacare.
For months, Congress has been in a standoff regarding the future of enhanced ACA premium tax credits, which are set to expire on December 31st. This issue was central to one of the longest government shutdowns in U.S. history, which lasted six weeks.
Last week, the House passed a measure to prolong the tax credit for three years, with 17 Republican lawmakers joining Democrats to push for a vote. However, the proposed extension has encountered hurdles in the Republican-controlled Senate, which previously rejected another plan for the same duration.
Currently, a bipartisan group is striving for a compromise that would entail a two-year extension of the ACA subsidies. Yet, Republican senators remarked recently that progress is stagnant.
In a separate development, President Trump suggested that efforts from the White House would aim to “send money directly to Americans, lower health insurance premiums, and decrease the rebates that increase premiums.”
Meanwhile, the deadline for Americans to select health insurance via the ACA Marketplace is January 15th in most states. Some states, however, are providing additional time with extended enrollment periods.
Below are the states with extended ACA enrollment deadlines:
- California: January 31st
- Connecticut: January 31st
- District of Columbia: January 31st
- Massachusetts: January 23rd
- Illinois: January 31st
- New Jersey: January 31st
- New York: January 31st
- Pennsylvania: January 31st
- Rhode Island: January 31st
- Virginia: January 30th
For those yet to enroll, the potential rise in costs is concerning. A nonprofit health organization, KFF, has previously indicated that, without action from Congress, Obamacare would remain in place, but with soaring premiums. For the over 20 million Americans who benefited from tax credits, they could see their costs more than double this year.
“The end of open enrollment periods in many states highlights a healthcare affordability crisis,” commented Michelle Sternthal, the interim senior director of policy and strategy at Community Catalyst, a healthcare advocacy group. “Premiums have surged because Congress didn’t extend the premium tax credit expansion.”
Some individuals are opting out of ACA coverage due to rising costs. Stacey Kanas, a 59-year-old from Florida, shared her experience with CBS News, explaining that her family abandoned their ACA plan upon discovering the impending premium hike.
“That’s why we’re not choosing to be targeted at this time,” she elaborated. “It’s just too expensive.”
Recent analysis suggests that ACA premiums for “silver” plans—the second least expensive option—rose nearly 22% in 2026, while a nonpartisan think tank anticipated that costs for employer-sponsored plans would only climb by about 7% this year.
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as of January 12, 22.8 million people were enrolled in ACA marketplace plans, which is 1.4 million fewer than the previous year.
Can Congress Extend Credits After Enrollment Ends?
Experts indicate there’s technically no deadline for Congress to extend the ACA tax credits, leaving it possible for relief to be provided after the open enrollment period ends.
“The ACA premium subsidy is a refundable tax credit calculated annually,” stated Larry Levitt, KFF’s executive vice president of health policy, in a December blog post. “So, there’s a chance extensions could be made after the enrollment deadline, retroactive to January 1st.”
Levitt noted that if the credits are saved, state and federal ACA marketplaces would need to adjust their systems, potentially extending the enrollment period to give people more time to evaluate their options. However, he cautioned that a resolution later could complicate matters further.
“Changes to the ACA tax credits mid-year could make the process more difficult and delay re-enrollment and relief,” he added.
