Health Plan Choices: What's Happening with Affordable Care Act Sign-Ups?

The clock is ticking for millions of Americans to pick their health insurance plans. In most states, the deadline to choose an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan was Thursday. This is a big deal for people who don't get health insurance through their jobs, like small business owners, gig workers, and farmers. Last year, a record 24 million Americans chose ACA plans, but this year, things are different. The cost of health insurance is a major concern. The COVID-era subsidies that helped many people afford their plans expired at the start of the year. This means that the average person paying for a subsidized plan will see their monthly premiums more than double in 2026. This has made it harder for people to decide which plan to choose, and so far, fewer people have signed up compared to last year.The situation in Washington is adding to the confusion. Congress is still debating whether to bring back the tax credits that helped lower the cost of health insurance. The House passed a three-year extension of the subsidies, but the Senate rejected a similar bill last year. Now, a bipartisan group of senators is working on a compromise. They hope to have a proposal by the end of the month, but nothing is set in stone yet. The proposed deal includes extending the enhanced subsidies for two years and adding new limits on who can receive them. It also includes the option to create a new health savings account, which is something that President Donald Trump and Republicans prefer. If this deal goes through, the ACA open enrollment period might be extended to March 1 to give people more time to figure out their coverage plans. But there are still disagreements between Republicans and Democrats. They haven't agreed on whether there should be new limits on how states can use separate funds for abortion coverage. So, while the deadline has passed for most states, the future of health insurance costs and coverage is still up in the air.