Medications are stored on shelves at a pharmacy on May 12, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Eric Thayer/Getty Images
Health care is central to the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history. The shutdown is nearing an end, but the underlying health care dispute remains unresolved.
Since 2021, people who buy coverage on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces have received extra help via tax credits. If Congress does not reach a compromise, those subsidies that helped a record number of Americans enroll in ACA plans could expire for 2026 coverage.
Negotiations to reopen the federal government include a promise of a Senate vote on the subsidies by the second week of December, but that informal agreement is not part of the formal legislation to reopen the government.
Open enrollment has begun, letting consumers shop for next year’s plans. Because Congress has not yet renewed the subsidies, many of the roughly 24 million people with marketplace plans may face large monthly premium increases for 2026 compared with their 2025 plans.
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