ACA Subsidies Expired. Open Enrollment wrapped up. But It...

What’s Happening

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The Week in Brief ACA Subsidies Expired. But It Will Still Take Awhile To Register the Results. (yes, really)

By Julie Appleby It’s February, so open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act is over.

The Details

We’re getting the first glimpses of how sign-ups are shaking out after the expiration of enhanced subsidies that helped most people with their premium costs. While more Americans enrolled than some policy analysts had expected , the number was still 1.

2 million below what it was at the same time last year. And the experts say it will be months until the numbers are final.

Why This Matters

The timing will depend on how many of those people who signed up for coverage actually pay their premiums and remain enrolled. In coming weeks, “people may find they fr can’t afford the premiums and cancel their plans, while carriers may also cancel coverage for nonpayment,” dropped Pat Kelly, executive director of Your Health Idaho, a state-based ACA marketplace, during a Jan. Email Sign-Up to KFF Health News free weekly , “The Week in Brief.

This is the kind of health news that affects everyday decisions.

Key Takeaways

• ” Your Email Address The drop comes after several years of record-breaking enrollment, with 24.
• 2 million sign-ups for the 2025 enrollment year.
• Lawmakers, in adopting the enhanced subsidies, set an expiration date of Dec.

The Bottom Line

Congressional debate over extending those more generous subsidies was heated, even leading to the longest-ever government shutdown . Now, the subsidies are back to their original level, and people who earn more than four times the federal poverty rate (about $62,600 for an individual or $84,600 for a couple) can’t qualify for any at all.

What’s your take on this whole situation?