Picture courtesy of BBC

Many Americans, like Texas mother Adrienne Martin, are facing the New Year without healthcare coverage due to soaring costs. Martin’s monthly premium skyrocketed from $630 to an astonishing $2,400, leaving her family without coverage. Millions are affected as subsidies from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expire, threatening the ability to afford essential healthcare.

Barack Obama initiated the subsidies in 2014 and expanded them during the Covid pandemic. A political stalemate in Washington has prevented the extension of these subsidies. Attempts in Congress to prolong financial aid until 2026 met with deadlock, resulting in a governmental shutdown earlier this year, but a new vote is expected soon. Meanwhile, families like Martin’s are navigating life without vital coverage, risking financial insecurity.

Experts warn of a steep rise in healthcare costs, with estimates suggesting a 114% increase in premiums. Consequently, many, including California mum Maddie Bannister, confront hard choices as they face increased premiums. Bannister’s costs have surged to $908 monthly, a significant burden for her family, impacting their savings plans.

Efforts to extend the subsidies continue, with bipartisan support emerging. A vote on the matter is anticipated when Congress reconvenes on 5 January. If passed, this could ease the burden for millions navigating the ACA marketplace. Until resolved, the healthcare landscape remains uncertain for many Americans, reported BBC.

Key Takeaways

• The expiration of ACA subsidies leads to significant premium increases.

• Political gridlock has delayed measures that could extend financial aid.

• A Congressional vote is scheduled for early January, which may affect future subsidies.

  

Adapted by ASEAN Now from BBC 2026-01-02

 

 

Luckily, I don't live in the US

Just another shovel full of dirt on this abomination……administrations grave.It sucks we have to go through this mess till we get competency back in the White House.l don’t think we have lost this much ground in our history when you combine all of trumps malfeasance…..just 😔

Nothing really new here as it's like that for decades...

The Dem’s ACA is proving to be a disaster.

6 minutes ago, Tug said:

Just another shovel full of dirt on this abomination……administrations grave.It sucks we have to go through this mess till we get competency back in the White House.l don’t think we have lost this much ground in our history when you combine all of trumps malfeasance…..just 😔

WTF are you talking about? This is the result of the Dems disastrous ACA.

21 minutes ago, still kicking said:

Luckily, I don't live in the US

lucky for us also

22 minutes ago, still kicking said:

Luckily, I don't live in the US

I am thankful you don’t live in the USA.

1 minute ago, Mike_Hunt said:

I am thankful you don’t live in the USA.

Yeah, right, since I am not a Putin lover

5 minutes ago, Mike_Hunt said:

WTF are you talking about? This is the result of the Dems disastrous ACA.

We are the ONLY developed nation without healthcare for ALL ….WTF are YOU talking about?I fortunately survived without serious injury or sickness through my working years not to lose everything I worked so hard for……because we have little to no healthcare here….so just can it…..let me know when trump comes up with something ehh not just his usual gaslighting.

1 minute ago, Tug said:

We are the ONLY developed nation without healthcare for ALL ….WTF are YOU talking about?I fortunately survived without serious injury or sickness through my working years not to lose everything I worked so hard for……because we have little to no healthcare here….so just can it…..let me know when trump comes up with something ehh not just his usual gaslighting.

How do you plan on funding a 4 trillion push program?

Richest, most powerfully economic country in the world. Gives billions in tax cuts to the richest 1% of Americans, gives millions to Israel each year, claims that it's making billions in duties/tariffs, yet it has no system of universal health care for its population - and no political will to create one. Possibly the only country in the OECD in that regard. Why would anyone vote for these guys? Talk about an 'own goal'..

2 hours ago, Mike_Hunt said:

How do you plan on funding a 4 trillion push program?

BBC says the cost of the program was 35 billion a year.

"Democrats wanted to force Republicans to extend the subsidies for an additional three years, which would cost $35bn per year. Republicans did not want the government to foot the bill for another three years of subsidies without spending cuts."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98n8lrj7y6o

Since 2021 - in less than 5 years - Congress has approved and given Israel nearly 30 billion over that period.

https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/RL33222

4 hours ago, Mike_Hunt said:

The Dem’s ACA is proving to be a disaster.

Because of a sustained deliberate campaign of sabotage by The Republican Party, funded by the health insurance mafia industry interests.

It is also a pretty damning and revealing glimpse glimpse of the racism and lack of concern for others inherent to American politics - does anyone think the scheme would have been allowed to founder, dragged down thus, if it hadn't been introduced by, born the name of and been the signature achievement of a black President, elected by the working class voters?

Wrap it up in as much poitics as you like - people, quite a lot of them, are going to die as a result of this fiasco, even pretty young white mums like this lady.

what a <deleted> mess!

5 hours ago, Mike_Hunt said:

How do you plan on funding a 4 trillion push program?

Take a long hard look at its 11 aircraft Carriers, 73 (!) nuclear submarines, 950,000 man army and an air force larger than the combined strength of the next four countries?

5 hours ago, Mike_Hunt said:

The Dem’s ACA is proving to be a disaster.

Why? Because it allowed the poor access to medical care?

3 minutes ago, JAG said:

Take a long hard look at its 11 aircraft Carriers, 73 (!) nuclear submarines, 950,000 man army and an air force larger than the combined strength of the next four countries?

And then you will be the first to moan and groan when China absorbs. Taiwan and takes control of the South China Sea controlling US access to trade routes and export markets. The USA has a strategic and national security interest in preserving its defensive capability.

39 minutes ago, JAG said:

Because of a sustained deliberate campaign of sabotage by The Republican Party, funded by the health insurance mafia industry interests.

It is also a pretty damning and revealing glimpse glimpse of the racism and lack of concern for others inherent to American politics - does anyone think the scheme would have been allowed to founder, dragged down thus, if it hadn't been introduced by, born the name of and been the signature achievement of a black President, elected by the working class voters?

Wrap it up in as much poitics as you like - people, quite a lot of them, are going to die as a result of this fiasco, even pretty young white mums like this lady.

what a <deleted> mess!

Playing the race card? Oh my. I believe that the ACA intent was good and that a national healthcare program is needed in the USA. However, it is a cop out to blame the ACA failure on racism. The states had a role to play and too many did not want to make the ACA work. That's a reflection of the US. mentality and culture. Young people, healthy people did not want to pay for public health care options because they thought they would never get sick or need it. Quality healthcare costs money and the people who need to contribute including the lower income beneficiaries do not wish to contribute their fair share.

4 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

And then you will be the first to moan and groan when China absorbs. Taiwan and takes control of the South China Sea controlling US access to trade routes and export markets. The USA has a strategic and national security interest in preserving its defensive capability.

Not forgetting blowing up speedboats and blockading Venezuela because Trump wants their oil.

5 hours ago, Mike_Hunt said:

The Dem’s ACA is proving to be a disaster.

For whom, exactly?

5 hours ago, still kicking said:

Yeah, right, since I am not a Putin lover

Russia has universal healthcare...

58 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

And then you will be the first to moan and groan when China absorbs. Taiwan and takes control of the South China Sea controlling US access to trade routes and export markets. The USA has a strategic and national security interest in preserving its defensive capability.

That is why I said "long hard look". I took a short look at the map of the South China Sea, and whilst I do think it would be a good idea for China to have total control, the really important trade routes from the USA, to Korea, Japan, Taiwan even, other than those from and to China, do not pass through the South China Sea. Other major trade routes, Europe and the Middle East (oil) to Japan and Korea can be diverted so as not to pass through the South China Sea. More expensive yes, but not closing down trade.. That of course assumes that China wishes to, effectively, close down international trade in it's part of the world - they are a trading country so I wonder.

Taiwan is a different kettle of fish. I think, logically, it has a right to independence, it hasn't been part of China effectively since the present Chinese state emerged from the civil war, over 70 years now, and is a viable prosperous state in it's own right. I don't have a problem with the USA supporting that position, or even being prepared to help defend them if needs be.

But, and it is a very big but, the bloated US military is now more a function of the lobbying power of the industrial-military complex, with more than a little national willy waving in the mix! Effective defence of the USA, and it's legitimate interests, could be achieved at much less cost.

They ended last year without affordable healthcare. Something they haven't had since the Obama administrations, over 15 yrs ago. What's new ?

One of the reasons, I'm wouldn't return to USA, and staying right here. Getting sick there, bankrupts people, whether you have healthcare insurance or not.

3 hours ago, phetphet said:

Not forgetting blowing up speedboats and blockading Venezuela because Trump wants their oil.

The oil argument is weak. The Canadian oil sands oil and the Venezuela oil is comparable in its grade. The USA through its stranglehold on Canadian refining gets Canadian crude at below market cost. The USA would be exchanging 4 quarters for a dollar.

Aren't those speedboats loaded with drugs? Or are you suggesting they are pleasure craft plying the pacific spreading goodwill?

3 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Russia has universal healthcare...

Yes it does. Unfortunately, the public system is underfunded, and hospitalization means sharing a ward with many other patients, some of whom are noisy or difficult. Access to state of the art healthcare is not equitable. There is also a serious issue of the need to offer gifts or money under the table to access better health care. Have a look at health care in some of the smaller cities.

If the maga fascists think that blaming this on democrats is going to work, they're even more out of touch with reality than I thought.

I think the USA also has limited Social Security payments for unemployed

If your unemployed I think it's maximum 6 month then your on your own , either find a job or starve I guess

I wonder how many MAGAs used to get those subsidies?

seems to me consecutive governments have failed to effectively address this problem, so the chances of numbskull trump and his inept lieutenants sorting it, or even improving the situation, are absolutely zero - for evidence simply refer to all the previous promises trump has made to sort it, and achieved zilch.

just another reason to thank goodness i'm not american.

16 hours ago, Mike_Hunt said:

The Dem’s ACA is proving to be a disaster.

An electoral disaster for the Republicans:

Millions of Republicans on Obamacare want enhanced subsidies extended. Most Hill Republicans don’t

GOP lawmakers are deeply divided over whether to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, but millions of Republicans enrolled in Obamacare plans have a clear message for them — don’t let the beefed-up subsidies lapse.

Some 72% of Republican enrollees — and the same share of MAGA supporters with Obamacare coverage — favor extending the more generous assistance, which is set to lapse at year’s end, according to a new poll from KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group. The same is true of 95% of Democratic enrollees and 84% of independents

https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/04/politics/obamacare-trump-subsidies-poll