'We don't have a lot of time': Congress comes to terms with an all-but-certain lapse in Obamacare subsidies [View all]

(Politico) Hopes for a quick patch saving millions of Americans from sharply higher health insurance premiums have given way to expectations of a long slog on Capitol Hill.

It is now all but certain that enhanced Obamacare subsidies first implemented by Democrats as a Covid relief measure will expire Dec. 31 after the Senate voted down competing partisan health plans Thursday and House GOP leaders indicated they had no plans to bring an extension up for a vote this year.

Less certain is when lawmakers might begin to pick up the pieces — or if they have any hope of finding a solution. A bipartisan group of lawmakers continues to talk about a possible 11th-hour path forward, hoping that the failed votes this week can give them some badly needed momentum. But most of their colleagues are convinced the discussions won’t bear fruit until 2026.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/clock-resets-obamacare-talks-congress-000158292.html