Fewer Americans are signing up for Affordable Care Act health insurance plans this year. New federal data shows a 3.5% drop in enrollment, with around 800,000 fewer people selecting plans compared to last year.

After the ACA tax credit lapsed in December, enrollees are opting for less robust health plans or dropping coverage altogether.

When a bipartisan coalition in the U.S. House voted this month to approve a three-year, $80 billion extension of extra insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act — over the opposition of Republican leaders in Congress — there was a sense of accomplishment in the hallways of the Capitol.

The final day to select Affordable Care Act health insurance for the year has arrived across much of the country.

Going into the 2025-26 open enrollment period for people shopping for health insurance through GetCoveredNJ, the outlook was grim. Insurance regulators said the average premium would rise by 16%. And with Congress in December refusing to renew the money needed for tax credits that helped middle-income New Jerseyans dramatically reduce their premiums during the pandemic,

While Congress debates bringing back Affordable Care Act subsidies, many Americans have already made life-altering decisions to afford health care.

Musicians, tattoo artists and other Nashvillians among Tennesseans struggling to afford health insurance premiums as Congress debates extension.

These high costs are taking a huge bite out of family budgets. Median household income in the U.S. was $83,730 in 2024, per the Census Bureau, meaning health insurance coverage for a family could represent an enormous chunk of pre-tax income for the household.

By Amina Niasse and Richard Cowan NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Millions of Americans are facing higher healthcare costs in 2026 as open enrollment for most federally subsidized Obamacare plans closes on Thursday and Congress remains divided on whether and how it should reinstate generous COVID-era tax credits.

The proposal, coming ahead of the midterm elections, falls far short of President Donald Trump’s promises to deliver a replacement for the Affordable Care Act.