Health subsidies expire, launching millions of Americans into 2026 with steep insurance hikes01/02/2026NEW YORK (AP) — Enhanced tax credits that have helped Americans offset the cost of Affordable Care Act health insurance for the last four years expired overnight. The arrival of the New Year's Day deadline with no fix from Congress cemented higher health costs for millions of Americans, including many self-employed workers, small business owners, farmers and ranchers. The change represents a failure by lawmakers to address an affordability issue that many Americans have raised as a top concern ahead of the 2026 midterms. On average, the more than 20 million subsidized enrollees in the Affordable Care Act program are seeing their premium costs rise by 114% in 2026, according to an analysis by the health care research nonprofit KFF.