*

Americans delay enrollment over jump in monthly premiums

for

2026

*

Increases to have outsized impact on buyers in Georgia,

Florida

and Texas, small business owners

*

Enrollment figures will drop, even if tax credits are

extended

retroactively, experts say

By Amina Niasse, Nathan Layne and Andy Sullivan

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Americans

shopping for 2026 Obamacare health insurance plans are facing a

more than doubling of monthly premiums on average and are likely

to postpone signing up in hopes of a last-minute reprieve, or

walk away, health experts say.

COVID-19 pandemic-era subsidies, due to expire at year-end,

are at the center of the month-long U.S. government shutdown,

with the potential to affect election outcomes and increase the

rate of U.S. uninsured.

The subsidies helped double Obamacare enrollment to 24

million since they were put in place in 2021.

Enrollment opens on Saturday for the plans created by

President Barack Obama's signature 2010 Affordable Care Act.

Enrollees on average will see premiums rise about 114%, with the

impact varying among the 22 million people who receive

subsidies, according to research firm KFF.

Austin Jeha, a 24-year-old medical billing professional from

San Ramon, California, relies on insurance to help pay for

specialty care for his ulcerative colitis. Jeha's new monthly

premium is set to rise to $436 from $215.

Jeha regularly receives treatment from a specialist, handing

over an $85 co-pay. "You're at a higher risk of colon cancer,"

he said, so doctors "want to check in to see if you're in

remission or not."

Jeha has reached out to his representative in the U.S.

Congress, Democrat Mark DeSaulnier, and is waiting to see if an

agreement in Washington would cut his costs.

CAUGHT UP IN THE SHUTDOWN

Large swaths of the U.S. government have been shut since

October 1, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers

without pay and disrupting a wide range of services, from

financial oversight to medical research.

Democrats say any package that would reopen the government

must also extend ACA subsidies. Republicans say they are open to

addressing that issue, but insist Congress must first vote to

restore government funding.

Residents in Florida, Texas and Georgia are among those who

will be most affected. In these and seven other Republican-led

states, Medicaid is limited to the poorest residents, leaving

many low-income families to seek out ACA plans because of the

subsidies.

Scott Darius, executive director of nonprofit Florida Voices

for Health, said working-class residents and small business

owners have come to rely on these plans at a time of persistent

inflation.

"That's who will suffer with the expiration of these tax

credits. It's people who are working really hard, sometimes

working multiple jobs, just jobs that don't provide health

coverage," Darius said in an interview.

When the subsidies sunset, those with incomes over 400% of

the federal poverty level will no longer be eligible.

In every congressional district across Florida, enrollees

over age 60 with incomes just above 400% of the federal poverty

level - roughly $84,600 for a couple - will see 2026 average

premiums at least four times more expensive, according to a KFF

analysis of government data.

The Department of Health and Human Services declined to

comment, pointing to a fact sheet that said enrollees this year

will have access to, on average, plans with lower premiums after

tax credits and more plan choices overall.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, who oversees the program, recently said the

premium for the average person enrolled would rise about $13 to

$50 monthly.

HOLDING OFF AND MAYBE DROPPING OUT

The likelihood that enrollment will be unaffected by the

fight over subsidies - whether they are extended or not - is

slim. Subsidized enrollees are expected to see an average

premium increase to $1,904 a year from $888 in 2025, KFF said.

"Consumers are going to consume differently because of the

various price points that they're being told," said Shawn

Martin, CEO of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Four insurance industry experts told Reuters enrollment will

fall even if there is an extension of the subsidies after

enrollment begins.

"If somebody logs in during open enrollment and sees their

premium payment doubling and then walks away and decides not to

purchase their plan anymore, that damage has already been done,"

said Cynthia Cox, a vice president at KFF.

According to a Congressional Budget Office estimate, over 4

million Americans would become uninsured if Congress does not

extend these credits.

Even before calculating subsidies, health insurance prices

have risen, as insurers like CVS Health's ( CVS ) Aetna have

exited the ACA market. Departures and higher healthcare costs

have contributed to price increases on average of 26%, KFF said.

Timothy McCann, a 42-year-old financial professional based

in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, expects his monthly insurance

premium to increase to $1,851 from $1,517, according to the

Healthcare.gov website. McCann purchased the insurance to cover

treatments for him and his wife, who both have autoimmune

diseases, and kidney surgery for his three-year-old son.

"We need constant visits, so it's probably a net gain at the

end of the day. But it's still a crazy amount of money to

spend," said McCann, whose total out-of-pocket medical expenses

reached $33,000 this year.