“Premiums will more than double for millions of Affordable Care Act enrollees next year if Congress does not renew enhanced marketplace subsidies by year’s end, according to a new analysis,” Peter Sullivan writes over at Axios. “Why it matters: The tax credits that help people afford premiums are at the center of the showdown over government funding, and the latest findings underscore the stakes if they are not renewed, as Democrats insist they must be. Driving the news: Average premiums would increase 114%, from $888 to $1,904 per year, the analysis from health policy research organization KFF finds. That is a considerable burden for the roughly 22 million A.C.A. enrollees who receive subsidies. The big picture: Congressional Democrats have made renewing the enhanced tax credits their key ask in the standoff over funding the government. G.O.P. leaders won’t rule out talks later this year on a limited extension, possibly with changes like cutting off the tax credits for people with higher incomes. But they say the current short-term funding bill is not the place to have the negotiation.” Peter Sullivan, “A.C.A. premiums to rise 114% without subsidy renewal.” Axios.
