Allison Orris

A recent WSJ op-ed reaches the wrong conclusion about a GAO report on #ACA marketplaces. The report details vulnerabilities that call for targeted action – it doesn’t show widespread fraud, and it shouldn’t be used as an excuse to raise ppl’s premiums. tinyurl.com/4rnrpkt2

[2025-12-08] Download: Health Care Freedom for Patients Act | The United States Senate Committee on Finance | The United States Senate Committee on Finance [2025-12-08] Download: Health Care Freedom for Patients Act | The United States Senate Committee on Finance

Senators Crapo & Cassidy have now released bill language for their health "plan". Besides nothing on expiring Marketplace credits and HSAs, it adds 3 harmful #Medicaid cuts from House version of H.R. 1 that were dropped in final law due to Senate rules (1/x): www.finance.senate.gov/download/hea...

Scoop: Senate GOP chairs circulate health plan as ACA subsidies hang in the balance Two key Republican chairmen circulated the plan as the GOP struggles to unite around health policies.

Sens Cassidy and Crapo are circulating a health proposal that would do little to address the premium spikes millions of ACA marketplace enrollees will face starting Jan 1, and would further increase many people’s out of pocket costs for health care over time. www.axios.com/2025/12/08/s...

New HHS data on ACA marketplace enrollment for 2026 so far suggest a similar number of ppl have selected a plan compared to last year even as they see higher premium costs that reflect expiration of PTC enhancements. But don't make too much if it.

Instead of a clean extension of PTC enhancements (which makes silver plans more affordable), some Republicans have proposed encouraging people to buy down to less generous bronze plans.

Don’t be fooled: While bronze plans often have lower premiums, people face much higher costs when they get care.

People With Low Incomes May Lose $0 Premium Plans — a Lifeline — Unless Congress Acts Without congressional action, PTC enhancements will expire at the end of 2025. This will cause millions —many of these lowest-income enrollees especially — to become uninsured, or to face impossible c...

ACA marketplace plans w/ $0 premiums help ppl get & stay covered. Recent Republican proposals would require minimum premiums or fail to extend premium tax credit enhancements based on the false claim that ppl who don’t use medical care are “phantom enrollees.” 🧵https://tinyurl.com/4uc68zbf

Reports that the White House is working on a proposal to extend premium tax credit enhancements shows the Administration is acknowledging the urgent need to address premium spikes for millions of marketplace enrollees. But big questions remain.🧵

The GAO released a report last week on health savings accounts (HSAs) reaffirming that HSAs do little to help people with low and moderate incomes – who would be hurt the most if Congress lets premium tax credit enhancements expire.

Some recent Republican responses to the marketplace premium tax credit issue would shift more people to bronze plans with Health Savings Accounts as an alternative to silver plans with PTC enhancements and cost sharing reductions. So how do these plans stack up in real terms?

Here they go again: Republicans in Congress are reviving the ACA repeal debate. After enacting unprecedented cuts to Medicaid, they are looking for ways to eliminate federal premium tax credits that some help about 20M people afford marketplace plans.

Today, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on rising health care costs. But the real, urgent focus should be that 20 million people would face higher premium costs if the PTC enhancements expire at the end of the year.

Here’s how real people will are affected.

CMS Issues New Guidance on H.R. 1’s Restrictions on State Use of Provider Taxes to Finance Medicaid On November 14, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new guidance with some new detail about how it will implement provisions in H.R. 1 — the budget reconciliation la…

I also have a new blog on CMS guidance issued on Nov 14th indicating in part how CMS will implement H.R. 1's restrictions on state use of provider taxes to help finance their #Medicaid programs, which will shift costs to states and lead to damaging Medicaid cuts: ccf.georgetown.edu/2025/11/18/c...

Vague Offers of Cash Fail to Address Looming Premium Spikes for Marketplace Enrollees President Trump and some congressional Republicans have floated ending or cutting marketplace tax credits that help more than 20 million people afford coverage and instead giving people a fixed sum...

As millions shop for ACA marketplace coverage, vague proposals to replace premium tax credits with cash "accounts" would raise costs and leave people without affordable options; policymakers should extend proven tax credit enhancements instead. www.cbpp.org/blog/vague-o...

My colleague @shelbytgonzales.bsky.social unpacks the new effort to rescind Biden Admin's #PublicCharge rule and how doing so will create fear and confusion among people who are immigrants and their families.

Marketplace Enrollees Across the Country Face Steep Premium Increases Unless Tax Credit Enhancements Are Extended Annual premium increase, 60-year-old couple with income of $85,000 (401% FPL), by congressional district, 119th Congress Note: FPL = federal poverty level. Examples are based on 2026 average...

New interactive map from @CenterOnBudget showing out-of-pocket premium increases in every congressional district due to premium tax credit enhancements expiring. Explore it here: www.cbpp.org/research/hea...

My colleague @nicolerapfogel.bsky.social talked with CQ this week about why Republican HSA and cash account proposals are no substitute for extending the soon-to-expire PTC enhancements that more than 20 million ACA marketplace enrollees rely on to keep coverage affordable.

Marketplace Open Enrollment for 2026 - Beyond the Basics Updated November 10, 2025 1. What are premium tax credits (PTCs)? Premium tax credits, also known as PTCs, help individuals and families with low and

Making decisions about ACA marketplace coverage for 2026 is complicated, since the PTC enhancements that expire in Dec haven't yet been extended. We created a running list of FAQs to answer ?s about deadlines, automatic re-enrollment, and more. www.healthreformbeyondthebasics.org/marketplace-...

Expanding Health Savings Accounts Would Do Little to Improve Access to Affordable Health Care Amid the urgent debate over whether Congress will act to prevent cost increases for millions of people in 2026 marketplace plans, some Republicans are promoting expansions of health savings accounts.....

Read more from @centeronbudget.bsky.social about why HSAs and other proposals won’t make coverage more affordable and do little to help the people who would hurt the most from expiring premium tax credit enhancements.

BREAKING: We took the Trump-Vance administration back to court and WON AGAIN.

The court was clear today: the President must stop playing politics with the lives of 42 million people in America.

Check out @centeronbudget.bsky.social's new graphics -- examples of the cost increases that marketplace enrollees in all 50 states and D.C. will face if Congress doesn't extend premium tax credit enhancements. h/t @gidlukens.bsky.social www.cbpp.org/research/res...

Shutdowns hurt people and it will be good news when the government reopens.

But it is vital that Congress also address both the looming massive spike in health care costs for 20M *and* deliver a funding deal that the President can’t undo the parts he just doesn’t like. 🧵

#OpenEnrollment for 2026 marketplace plans started Nov 1 in most states. B/c Congressional Rs haven’t extended PTC enhancements, ppl are seeing higher costs as they review their options. If you’re in need of marketplace coverage, here are some key dates to keep in mind during this uncertain time:

New data: CBPP analyzed USDA’s contingency fund spending plan & found it is only going to release 2/3 of the funding they committed to in court filings, cutting families’ SNAP benefits far more than necessary, violating USDA’s own regulations & shortchanging millions of families.

Open enrollment for #ACA marketplace plans has begun, and without congressional action to extend premium tax credit enhancements, millions are facing steep premium increases for 2026.

Last Friday, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) finally provided states guidance on how to implement the harsh, anti-immigrant restrictions to food assistance in the harmful Republican megabill.

It is illegal to not follow a court order and it is just wrong to delay food assistance to children, seniors, veterans, working parents, and people with disabilities.

Under #Medicaid’s new work requirement, many eligible people could lose coverage. Our guide explains how states can reduce losses by minimizing burden, streamlining verification processes, and using accessible communication methods. www.cbpp.org/research/hea...

It is a relief that the Administration is finally agreeing to do the bare minimum and follow the law by using the #SNAP contingency reserve to partially fund November SNAP benefits & nutrition assistance in Puerto Rico & American Samoa.

The President's Echo System — Harvard University Press A sharp analysis of the propaganda partnerships between US presidents and private organizations that fueled the Cold War and paved the way for the War on Terror.How do US presidents motivate public su...

Just in time for your summer reading list (ie, coming June 2026). Thanks to Joseph Pomp and the rest of the editorial team at Harvard University Press.

www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978067...

This week at CBPP, we focused on #FoodAssistance and #health. www.cbpp.org/blog/in-case...