Americans Welcome 2026 With Fireworks, Champagne, and a 114% Increase in Health Care Costs

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans rang in the new year with fireworks, champagne, and optimism, only to wake up the next morning and discover their health insurance premiums had doubled overnight.

As clocks struck midnight across the country, enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies officially expired, launching millions of enrollees into 2026 with an average premium increase of 114%—a festive surprise that lawmakers assured was both unavoidable and someone else’s problem.

The expiration affects more than 20 million Americans who rely on the ACA marketplace, including self-employed workers, farmers, freelancers, and small business owners—groups lawmakers routinely praise in speeches before choosing to make their lives harder.

Some families saw premiums double. Others tripled. A few checked their plans and laughed in disbelief before closing the tab.

Republican leaders acknowledged the hikes but emphasized that restoring subsidies would require “serious discussion,” “bipartisan cooperation,” and ideally several more months of doing nothing. Democrats, meanwhile, expressed disappointment, concern, and a renewed commitment to expressing disappointment again later.

Health analysts warned that millions of Americans may now drop coverage, potentially driving costs even higher for those who remain. “Well, we don’t want  anyone to lose coverage,” said a GOP official. “But markets are markets.”