Democrats push to restore expired enhanced Obamacare subsidies
A Washington Examiner opinion piece argues the subsidies would add hundreds of billions to federal deficits without lowering premiums.
Democrats plan to make restoring the enhanced Obamacare subsidies a priority now that they have won midterm victories and are preparing to return to power in Congress. The enhanced subsidies expired at the end of 2025. Democrats present them as a way to make health insurance more affordable. This opinion piece argues that subsidizing coverage does not make it cheaper. It cites Paragon Health Institute research showing individual-market premiums rose 129% from 2014 to recent years, compared with a 68% rise in employer-sponsored premiums over the same period. The author says the subsidies left the rules that drive up premiums in place. The author also points to a Paragon estimate that nearly 6.5 million improper Obamacare sign-ups in 2025 could have cost taxpayers $27 billion. The Congressional Budget Office estimated in 2025 that making the subsidies permanent would add roughly $350 billion to federal deficits between 2026 and 2035.
Key points
- Democrats want to restore the enhanced Obamacare subsidies that expired at the end of 2025.
- CBO estimated permanent subsidies would add about $350 billion to deficits from 2026 to 2035.
- The opinion piece argues the subsidies did not address the rules driving premiums higher.
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