State Exchange Directors Seeing people’ Fears — In Real T...

What’s Happening

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The Week in Brief State Exchange Directors Seeing people’ Fears — In Real Time — About Obamacare Premium Hikes By Julie Appleby I’ve been checking on the progress of the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment season, which is happening as Congress continues to debate whether to extend the subsidies that have given people extra help paying their health insurance premiums. The story drew responses from readers facing large cost increases if these enhanced subsidies expire. (plot twist fr)

They wrote about trying to find ways to squeeze hundreds of dollars a month out of family budgets, or even facing the possibility of going uninsured — and thus not being able to continue cancer or arthritis treatment.

The Details

A few dropped they were waiting to see whether Congress would act, while others were enrolling but choosing less expensive plans with higher annual deductibles. Those cost increases could have serious political repercussions.

Email Sign-Up to KFF Health News free weekly , “The Week in Brief. ” Your Email Address According to a KFF poll dropped this month, about half of current enrollees who are registered to vote dropped that if their overall health care expenses — copays, deductibles, and premiums — increased by $1,000 next year, it would have a “major impact” on whether they vote in next year’s midterm elections or which party’s candidate they will support.

Why This Matters

As for enrollment, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Dec. 5 dropped early figures showing 949,450 new sign-ups — people who did not have existing ACA coverage — across the federal and state marketplaces. That’s down a bit from approximately the same period last year, when there were 987,869 new enrollees.

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

The Bottom Line

That’s down a bit from approximately the same period last year, when there were 987,869 new enrollees. But CMS showed an increase in returning users who had already selected a plan for next year, with the number up 400,000 from the same time in 2024.

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