On Thursday evening in Washington, Senate Democrats introduced legislation to extend enhanced premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for three more years. The subsidies currently help roughly 24 million Americans afford marketplace health plans, but are set to expire at the end of December. Chuck Schumer announced the plan on the Senate floor and said all Democrats support it — meaning the bill needs at least 13 Republicans to break a filibuster and advance.
The move comes just weeks after a deal ended a 43-day government shutdown, which included a pledge for lawmakers to take up this subsidy question. Failure to pass the extension — or a compromise version — could lead to large premium increases next year, threatening coverage for many.
At this point, Republicans remain mostly opposed, arguing for income caps or other policy changes before renewing subsidies. That resistance makes the chance of passage uncertain.
If the subsidies expire, millions could face significantly higher insurance costs — or lose coverage altogether. For now though, the Senate is gearing up for a decisive vote next week as time runs out before the year-end deadline.