Didn’t See This Coming, But I Guess That Was The Point.

The Big Beautiful Bill Is Full Of Surprises - Including Health Insurance Hikes Over 20% for 2026

President Donald Trump's sweeping tax legislation, dubbed the "Big Beautiful Bill," delivered roughly $4 trillion in tax cuts to Americans when he signed it into law on July 4, 2025. But there was a conspicuous omission that health policy experts warn could devastate millions of families: the bill failed to extend enhanced premium tax credits that have kept health insurance affordable since 2021. The result is that Americans are now bracing for what could be the most dramatic health insurance premium increases in over a decade starting January 1, 2026.

While Trump's legislation extended numerous expiring tax provisions, it notably excluded the enhanced premium tax credits that have been a lifeline for health insurance affordability. More than 22 million people—about 92% of Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace enrollees—currently benefit from these federal subsidies, which reduce their insurance premiums by an average of $705 annually.¹ The enhanced credits, originally introduced under…