The government shutdown has continued for weeks with no end in sight. Although Affordable Care Act subsidies have been at the center of the debate, one of the most basic questions remains unanswered: Where is the money actually going?
And we cannot answer that, because the U.S. still lacks real price transparency in health care.
In 2024, the federal government spent roughly $125 billion on Affordable Care Act subsidies. According to the Congressional Budget Offic...
Month: October 2025
Senate GOP, Democrats looking for ‘off-ramp’ to end shutdown next week
Senate Republicans and Democrats are trying to hammer out a proposal to end the 30-day government shutdown as soon as next week, as some centrist Democrats argue behind the scenes that their party has successfully highlighted rising health care costs and it’s time to end the stalemate.
Shutdown fatigue on Capitol Hill is growing as the government stoppage approaches the one-month mark, and the pain is increasing.
With open enrollment for the Affordab...
ACA window shopping goes live
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Oz: coming spike in ACA premium payments ‘not the big issue’
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz downplayed on Wednesday the likely substantial increase in the amount Americans will pay for health insurance on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) federal marketplace.
When asked at a press conference about the lack of a deal in Congress to extend expiring enhanced tax credits, Oz said he thinks they should expire because they were only intended for a short term to help Americans throug...
Oz: coming spike in ACA premium payments ‘not the big issue’
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz downplayed on Wednesday the likely substantial increase in the amount Americans will pay for health insurance on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) federal marketplace.
When asked at a press conference about the lack of a deal in Congress to extend expiring enhanced tax credits, Oz said he thinks they should expire because they were only intended for a short term to help Americans throug...
White House to cover troop pay Friday by tapping multiple funding sources
The White House will pay members of the military on Friday, averting a missed paycheck for troops as the government shutdown drags on by tapping into three separate funding sources.
An official with the Office and Management and Budget (OMB) confirmed to The Hill that the administration will cover $5.3 billion in military pay in part by utilizing $2.5 billion from the tax cut and spending megabill signed into law in July. The funding will specifically come from a military hous...
White House to cover troop pay Friday by tapping multiple funding sources
The White House will pay members of the military on Friday, averting a missed paycheck for troops as the government shutdown drags on by tapping into three separate funding sources.
An official with the Office and Management and Budget (OMB) confirmed to The Hill that the administration will cover $5.3 billion in military pay in part by utilizing $2.5 billion from the tax cut and spending megabill signed into law in July. The funding will specifically come from a military hous...
Average out-of-pocket costs for ObamaCare premiums expected to more than double: Report
A new analysis published by the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) found that out-of-pocket premium payments will more than double if ObamaCare's enhanced premium tax credits expire.
According to the CBPP's projections, annual out-of-pocket premium payments would more than double, exceeding $1,000 on average if the credits aren't extended. Open enrollment for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans begins this Saturday.
"Since Congress has ...
Here are 6 ways the government shutdown could get worse for Americans
The government shutdown has left many federal workers furloughed, caused nationwide flight delays, left small businesses unable to access loans and put nonprofit services in jeopardy. It’s only expected to get worse.
As Congress remains deadlocked over passing a stopgap measure to reopen the government, thousands of Americans are at risk of losing benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant...
Thune blasts Democrats on Senate floor over SNAP, shutdown: ‘This isn’t a political game’
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) delivered a fiery floor speech Wednesday, chastising his Democratic colleagues for introducing legislation to fund SNAP benefits after consistently voting against a GOP proposal to reopen the government.
In remarks on the Senate floor, the Republican leader blasted the last-ditch effort to cover the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), whose funds are set to dry up this week, accusing Democrats of only now realizing “t...