Here's what could happen if Obamacare subsidies aren't extended

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🗓️ 30 October 2025

⏱️ 11 minutes

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Summary

It’s a critical week regarding the Affordable Care Act, which is at the center of the government shutdown impasse. “Window shopping" began for some people buying health insurance through the ACA – also known as Obamacare – giving enrollees estimates on how much their premiums could cost next year.

Without the ACA tax credits that Democrats want to extend into 2026, many people could see big increases in their health care costs – 114%, on average, according to estimates by KFF, a nonprofit health policy think tank.

While there’s still time for lawmakers to strike a deal on extending the subsidies, “the longer this goes on, the more damage there could be,” says Cynthia Cox, who conducts research on Obamacare for KFF.

This episode was produced by Michael Levitt, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by Ashley Brown, Diane Webber, and Nadia Lancy. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The country is about a month into a government shutdown with the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, still at the center of the fight.
0:08.9	Democrats are still holding out for a deal to extend the tax credits that help people pay for health care through the ACA exchanges,
0:16.4	warning that without those subsidies, health care costs would skyrocket for millions.
0:23.0	It's been a concern for many,
0:28.7	including Laura Reynolds and Len Chernin. Their close friends, both living in Tampa, Florida,
0:34.2	both in their 50s, and they both recently separated from their jobs losing their private health insurance in the process. Reynolds has chronic health issues and needs to see a
0:38.6	specialist regularly. Very new and very scary to me that, you know, having what I have and my health
0:45.2	issues, not having health insurance. Chernin also knows the importance of affordable coverage,
0:50.3	especially after a recent medical emergency that her previous plan didn't cover.
0:54.9	I had emergency gallbladder surgery, and I got a bill from the hospital for $85,000.
1:00.6	Now, she and Reynolds have plans through the ACA marketplace, and they've both been pretty happy with the coverage and costs.
1:07.8	Here's Chernin again.
1:09.0	It's significantly better. I mean, the premiums are great.
1:14.4	The co-pays are amazing. You know, it's, I feel very, very lucky. And Reynolds was able to find an ACA
1:21.4	plan with a zero-dollar premium that also covered her expensive prescriptions. Amazingly enough,
1:35.5	it almost seems to cover better medication than my own insurance I was paying almost $1,000 a month for.
1:44.8	Consider this. Without a plan to extend the subsidies that have helped make Obamacare more affordable for people like Reynolds and Chernin and open enrollment starting in just days? What happens next?
1:49.8	From NPR, I'm Juana Summers.
1:59.3	It's consider this from NPR.
2:01.6	Lynn Chernin and Laura Reynolds of Tampa have been bracing for this week.
2:06.4	The enrollment period for the ACA Marketplace opens the Saturday, November 1st.
2:11.6	And this past Wednesday, window shopping became available in many states, including in Florida,
	...

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