About 1.4 million fewer people have enrolled in Obamacare coverage this year in the face of soaring premiums, according to an early report, following the expiration of the enhanced subsidies that helped lower the cost of health insurance for millions of Americans.

Numbers published by the federal government Monday indicated that 22.8 million Americans had enrolled in Affordable Care Act plans starting Jan. 1, down from 24.2 million enrolled by mid-January last year.

But the decrease so far — about 6% less than in 2025 — may grow in the coming months. Because the initial enrollment figures for this year include automatic renewals, more people may decide to drop coverage once they receive their first bill reflecting a much higher price.

Congress Continues Debate

Congress is continuing to debate options to soften the financial blow for consumers, but lawmakers have failed to coalesce around any solution. The House passed legislation to extend the additional insurance subsidies first enacted during the COVID pandemic, but the Senate has already considered (and rejected) an identical measure.

A bipartisan group of senators has been meeting to discuss a compromise plan, which would extend some funding to consumers with more limitations. But the details of that plan have not been finalized, and its prospects for passage remain unclear.

President Donald Trump has expressed ambivalence about the insurance subsidies. As recently as November, the White House floated a proposal to extend funding. And just last week, the president told Republicans that they should be flexible about related abortion restrictions when considering options, a comment that suggested his interest in reaching a compromise.

But asked about the bill Sunday while traveling on Air Force One, Trump said he might veto the legislation.

The expiration of the extra subsidies has doubled the amount people will have to pay for insurance, on average. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the result will result in 2 million more Americans becoming uninsured this year. But other analysts have estimated larger losses of coverage.

Consumers can continue to enroll in plans through Thursday, for coverage that becomes effective Feb. 1. After that, in the absence of any congressional action, the annual open enrollment period will be over for people signing up through the federal marketplace, and most people may have to wait until next year to enroll.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Reed Abelson and Margot Sanger-Katz/Eva Marie Uzcategui
c. 2026 The New York Times Company