Federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act insurance plans are on the chopping block, but the specter of higher premiums doesn’t seem to be deterring Connecticut residents. By early December, enrollment for 2026 exchange plans in the state had reached nearly 125,000 — only 800 fewer than the number of signups for 2025 plans at this time last year — despite likely dramatic cost increases due to the expected expiration of financial assistance, known as “enhanced premium tax credits.” If the subsidies lapse at the end of December, individual enrollees could see their premiums rise by an average of $2,380 per year — or about $198 a month, according to mid-October estimates provided by Access Health CT. A household of four would see premiums rise by an average of over $10,000 per year. Access Health CT CEO James Michel said he was surprised by the strong enrollment, but chalked it up to relentless outreach efforts over the last several months by any means necessary, including mail, email and text.  “We kept on sending notices, like every two weeks, just keeping people informed,” Michel said. “We think that was helpful in prepping people what to expect when they did show up. The sticker shock was somewhat built into their mindset.” About 143,000 enrollees in Connecticut receive some sort of subsidy to help defray the costs of premiums. Of that number, nearly 32,000 enrollees only qualify for the enhanced subsidy, and would thus completely lose their financial assistance by next year. The remaining 111,000 will still receive financial support, but it will decrease. Connecticut would have to spend more than $295 million annually to pick up the costs of the enhanced premium tax credits if Congress fails to extend them, according to a spokesperson with Access Health CT. The subsidies played a central role in the 43-day-long federal government shutdown earlier this year. Even though the standoff ended without an agreement on the tax credits, U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., pledged to hold a vote on renewing them. That vote is slated to take place on Thursday. Democrats are proposing to extend the subsidies for three years. All 47 Democratic senators are expected to back the bill in a key procedural vote, but they will need some Republicans to get it to clear the 60-vote threshold. Republicans have floated a number of alternative proposals, and have struggled to unify behind one. One proposal would fund health savings accounts, or HSAs, while another would extend the subsidies with new eligibility restrictions. But the GOP proposal in the Senate that’ll also get a vote Thursday doesn’t address the lapse in the tax credits and instead focuses on expanding HSAs. Those who earn up to 700% of the federal poverty level would receive up to $1,500 in those accounts depending on an eligible individual’s age. Under this bill, subsidies would expire. Neither the Republican or Democratic bills are expected to advance in the Senate this week, increasing the odds that the subsidies will sunset at the end of the year. Still, if Congress passes an extension, Michel said Access Health CT would look to extend open enrollment. They would also send targeted outreach to people who had already signed up for plans, giving them the opportunity to enroll in a different plan. Open enrollment for plans that take effect at the start of next year began Nov. 1 and runs through Dec. 15. Residents have until Jan. 15 to enroll in plans that begin in February. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., isn’t hopeful that Democrats will succeed in getting an extension. “We’re going to fight as long and hard as we can, but I have no great confidence in my Republican colleagues to do the right thing,” Blumenthal said.  Republicans have argued the subsidies drive up the cost insurers charge for coverage. And they believe their counterproposal “will get us away from the practice of giving the money all to the insurance companies and put it back in the hands of the patients,” according to Thune. Democratic lawmakers in Connecticut push back that it completely ignores the issue of rising premiums and could result in Americans signing up for “worse” health plans than they are currently enrolled in. “Republicans could just do the right thing this week. They could vote for a simple bill to just postpone this disaster and instead, they have spent the last month either ignoring this crisis or arguing amongst themselves,” U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said from the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. The enhanced premium subsidies were created under the American Rescue Plan Act, the 2021 federal legislation that congressional Democrats passed to provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. CT Mirror reporter Lisa Hagen contributed to this story. ...read more read less