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Republicans push Obamacare tax credit alternatives as enrollment deadline looms
An Obamacare sign is displayed outside an insurance agency on Nov. 12, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images
With enhanced Obamacare tax credits set to expire at the end of the year, Republicans are proposing new alternatives aimed at lowering the cost of health care.
Their window for doing so is rapidly closing — and leaving middle-class Americans uncertain in the balance.
The White House is expected to make an announcement this week addressing efforts to either renew or replace the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. However, MS Now late reported an announcement has been delayed in part due to congressional backlash, according to two White House officials.
The news could not come soon enough for Shana Verstegen and her husband. The couple buys insurance through the ACA exchange and is facing a 50% premium increase for their family plan in 2026 if the enhanced tax credits are not renewed by Congress.
“We have been looking at our expenses, and it’s tough now because everything’s really expensive already,” with little room to cut costs,” said Verstegen, a fitness instructor from Madison, Wisconsin. “We’re looking at a few activities our kids do and things like that.”
Verstegen traveled to Washington during the government shutdown to advocate for extending financial support for middle-class ACA enrollees like her family. Since the government reopened, she’s been watching the discussions on Capitol Hill around so-called Obamacare tax credits warily.
“I’m thrilled that lawmakers are finally at the table and talking about ways to make health care more affordable. What I’m frustrated about is there is less than a month to do something,” she said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., promised Democrats the chamber would vote on extending the enhanced tax credits in mid-December as part of a deal to end a record-long government shutdown.
Dec. 15 is the deadline for the majority of Americans to sign up for 2026 ACA coverage, and as Congress headed home for the Thanksgiving recess, there was no consensus on Obamacare credit funding or what those subsidies would look like.
GOP proposes cash payments
Some Republicans in the House signed a bipartisan letter urging Senate leadership to have negotiations that include members from both chambers to find a way to extend the enhanced tax credits for a year.
The subsidies, enacted during the Covid pandemic, provide aid for middle-class enrollees by capping their portion of premium payments at 8.5% of income.
The cost of extending the tax credits is more than $30 billion per year, according to the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office.
President Donald Trump has opposed an extension of the Obamacare tax credits that he says fund the “money sucking” insurance industry, stating in a post on his Truth Social platform, “The only healthcare I will support or approve is sending the money directly back to the people.”
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., has introduced a bill that would give ACA enrollees cash through a Health Savings Account called a Trump Health Freedom Account, which they could use to pay for both premiums and health expenses. According to the bill, the payments would be effective starting Jan. 1.
The current ACA subsidies are based on mid-tier Silver plans as the benchmark coverage option. Those plans have an average deductible of just over $5,000, according to health policy organization KFF.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., has proposed making the lower-tier Bronze plan the benchmark for enhanced subsidies, while providing cash to offset the higher Bronze plan deductible. According to KFF, Bronze plan deductibles average more than $7,000.
Cassidy told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Monday his proposal would provide subsidies for the lower-tier plan, limiting out-of-pocket premium costs at levels similar to those under a Biden-era proposal.
“But we’re using a cheaper policy so it’s easier to do,” he explained. “That gives us savings to put into a Health Savings Account.”
Trading down from a benchmark Silver plan to a Bronze plan without the enhanced tax credits would not save enrollees much money.
A 60-year-old couple in Florida earning $86,000, for example, would qualify for a $0 premium on a 2026 Bronze plan with an enhanced tax credit, according to a premium calculator from KFF. Without the credit, the same plan would cost $2,169 per month, or more than $26,000 per year.
Racing the clock
With Congress out for the Thanksgiving recess, there is less than a month left of the legislative calendar.
Getting an HSA funding measure not only passed but implemented for the start of coverage next year may not be possible, according to Sabrina Corlette, co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University.
“Conceptually, what they’re talking about is a radical restructuring of how the ACA marketplaces and tax credits work, and we literally are days away from when people have to pay their January premiums in order to effectuate their coverage,” Corlette said.
Oscar Health CEO Mark Bertolini said a national plan in which the government or employers give consumers cash to buy their own coverage in the marketplace is something he supports in the long run, but extending the enhanced tax credits makes the most sense now.
“I think that’s how they’re going to solve this problem, so they get past the midterms, and they have time to put together a fulsome plan,” Bertolini said.
Enrollees face Dec. 15 deadline
Regardless of whether the tax credits are extended, the deadline to sign up for 2026 coverage remains firm for now. For those enrolling on the healthcare.gov exchange, it is just three weeks away. On some state-run exchanges such as those for California and Massachusetts, the deadline is Jan. 31.
Obamacare premiums for 2026 have spiked as insurers expect some enrollees to drop of out of the market, in part because of the uncertainty over the extension of the enhanced premium tax credits.
Oscar Health has been working with insurance brokers to reach out to its members about more affordable plans.
“We believed, out of the people affected by enhanced subsidies, that we could sell to 85% of them. And right now, what we’re seeing says maybe more,” said Bertolini.
KFF’s executive vice president for health policy, Larry Levitt, said enrollees should consider signing up by the Dec. 15 deadline even if Congress does not manage to pass a premium relief measure before the end of the year, because the Trump administration has tightened rules for signing up outside of open enrollment.
“The premiums are still month-to-month, so you’re committing to one month’s premium. If it’s unaffordable, you can always drop out, but you can’t come back in if you don’t sign up,” Levitt said.
The forecasts were made before the conflict in the Middle East broke out which could have a “very significant” impact, the OBR said.
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US stock market: Wall street crashes amid Iran tension; Dow jones slips over 900 points, Nasdaq dips by 2% – The Times of India
A fresh wave of global selling pressure hit Wall Street on Tuesday, as escalating tensions involving Iran deepened fears of prolonged economic disruption. The S&P 500 fell 1.8 per cent in early trade. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 907 points, or 1.9 per cent, as of 9:35 am Eastern time, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.1 per cent. The renewed slide came just a day after US equities had erased steep early losses to close marginally higher — a rebound that had hinged on oil prices remaining contained. That relief faded as crude surged closer to levels that investors fear could reignite inflationary pressures. Brent crude, the global benchmark, jumped 8.2 per cent to $84.14 a barrel after trading near $70 less than a week ago. US benchmark crude rose 8 per cent to $76.92. Oil prices spiked after Iran struck the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia, broadening its list of targets to include areas central to global oil and natural gas production. Markets are particularly focused on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint off Iran’s coast through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. Any disruption there could have outsized consequences for global energy markets. Uncertainty over the duration of the conflict is adding to volatility. US and Israeli strikes have already killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, yet US President Donald Trump has indicated that hostilities could persist for weeks. In a late-night social media post on Monday, Trump said wars can be fought “forever” with the munitions available to the United States. The sharp rise in crude threatens to compound inflation, which remains elevated, by increasing fuel and transportation costs. According to data from motor club AAA, the average US gasoline price rose 11 cents overnight to about $3.11 per gallon.On Wall Street, airline stocks extended losses amid concerns over higher jet fuel costs and travel disruptions linked to the conflict. United Airlines fell 4.1 per cent, American Airlines declined 4 per cent and Delta Air Lines slipped 3 per cent. Bond markets also reflected rising inflation expectations. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury climbed to 4.10 per cent from 4.05 per cent late Monday and 3.97 per cent on Friday. Higher yields translate into more expensive borrowing costs for households and businesses, affecting everything from mortgages to corporate bond issuances.The impact in equity markets has been most pronounced in sectors and countries heavily reliant on energy imports. In South Korea — a major oil importer — the Kospi index plunged 7.2 per cent in its worst session in nearly two years as markets reopened after a holiday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 3.1 per cent, despite analysts noting that Japan maintains strategic energy reserves estimated to last more than 200 days.
Sign at the main entrance to a Best Buy store in Venice, Florida.
Erik McGregor | Lightrocket | Getty Images
Best Buy posted mixed results on Tuesday as the retailer’s holiday-quarter sales declined and missed Wall Street’s expectations, but its earnings topped estimates as it showed improved profitability.
For the current fiscal year, the consumer electronics retailer expects revenue to range between $41.2 billion and $42.1 billion, compared with $41.69 billion in the most recent fiscal year. It expects adjusted earnings per share to range from $6.30 to $6.60, after it reported adjusted earnings per share of $6.43 for the previous fiscal year.
Best Buy anticipates that comparable sales, a metric that tracks sales online and in stores open at least 14 months, will range from a decline of 1% to an increase of 1%.
In a news release, CEO Corie Barry said demand for consumer electronics remained lackluster during the gift-giving season, but the company’s internal data indicates that Best Buy’s market share in the industry “was at least flat.”
Chief Financial Officer Matt Bilunas said in his own statement that the company is “excited about the momentum in our business.” But he added that company leaders “expect to continue to navigate a mixed macro environment.”
Shares jumped more than 10% in premarket trading.
Here’s how the retailer did for the fiscal fourth quarter compared with what Wall Street was expecting, according to a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: $2.61 adjusted vs. $2.47 expected
- Revenue: $13.81 billion vs. $13.88 billion expected
In the three-month period that ended Jan. 31, Best Buy’s net income jumped to $541 million, or $2.56 per share, from $117 million, or 54 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter. Excluding one-time expenses, including charges for its health business, Best Buy reported adjusted earnings per share of $2.61.
Revenue decreased from $13.95 billion in the year-ago quarter. Yet on an annual basis, revenue rose to $41.69 billion from $41.53 billion in the prior fiscal year. Best Buy’s annual revenue declined in the three previous fiscal years.
For about four years, Best Buy has pinned its slower sales on more price-sensitive U.S. consumers, a slower housing market and less tech innovation. All of those factors have caused some shoppers to delay tech purchases, particularly big-ticket items like new refrigerators. Higher tariffs have also added costs for Best Buy, since many consumer electronics are imported.
Comparable sales dropped 0.8% in the fourth quarter as the company saw softer sales of appliances and home theaters. Those declines were partially offset by sales growth in computing and mobile phones, the company said.
Best Buy has leaned into more profitable businesses, including selling ads and offering more merchandise through its third-party marketplace, which launched in August. Barry said in the company’s news release that Best Buy’s advertising partners nearly doubled compared to the prior year and she said the retailer has significantly increased the number of available products on the marketplace.
The company has a scheduled earnings call at 9 a.m. ET.
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