What changed for 2026 marketplace coverage
The headline is the cliff — but several other ACA marketplace rules changed for the 2026 plan year. Here they are, stated plainly and without spin.
The headline: enhanced credits expired, the cliff is back
From 2021 through 2025, a temporary “enhanced” premium tax credit removed the upper income limit and capped premiums at 8.5% of income. It expired on January 1, 2026. For 2026 the credit reverts to its pre-2021 structure — a sliding subsidy from 100% to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level, and then a hard cutoff. The subsidy itself still exists for households in that range; what’s gone is the enhancement that erased the cliff. See the 2026 subsidy cliff, explained.
Repayment caps were removed
If you take the credit in advance and your actual income comes in higher than you estimated, you reconcile the difference on your tax return. The old income-based limits on how much you had to repay are gone — so underestimating your income near the cliff is riskier than it used to be. Households that expect variable income should estimate carefully or lean conservative. (See what counts as MAGI.)
Automatic re-enrollment ended
Coverage no longer rolls over with the credit attached automatically. For 2026 you generally must actively verify your information and re-enroll each year to keep the premium tax credit. Doing nothing can mean losing the credit — or losing coverage.
Open enrollment is shorter
For 2026 coverage on HealthCare.gov, open enrollment runs roughly November 1 – December 15, 2025, with no January window. State-run marketplaces may set their own dates. Outside open enrollment you generally need a qualifying life event to enroll, so the mid-December deadline matters.
The under-150% FPL year-round window ended
The monthly special enrollment period that let very-low-income households (under 150% FPL) sign up any time of year was discontinued. Those households now enroll during the standard open-enrollment window or with a qualifying life event.
What didn’t change
Cost-sharing reductions still exist for enrollees under 250% FPL who choose a silver plan (lower deductibles and out-of-pocket costs). And being over 400% FPL doesn’t lock you out of coverage — you can still buy any marketplace plan at full price, and you auto-qualify for a hardship exemption to buy a lower-cost Catastrophic plan.
Run your 2026 numbers
The 2026 ACA subsidy & cliff calculator reflects these rules — the restored cliff and the 2026 figures — so you can see your estimated credit and your distance from the 400% line.
Reflects current federal law as of June 1, 2026. The enhanced premium tax credits expired after 2025 and the 400% FPL subsidy cliff applies for 2026. A bill to restore the enhancements passed the House in January 2026 but has not become law; efforts in the Senate did not advance. The legislative status is live — verify current status on congress.gov. Enrollment dates and thresholds can change; confirm at HealthCare.gov. This guide is educational, not advice; see our disclaimer.
Sources: 2025 reconciliation law (P.L. 119-21); CRS R48290 “Enhanced PTC and 2026 Exchange Premiums”; CMS 2025 Marketplace Integrity & Affordability Final Rule; HealthCare.gov; KFF 2026 marketplace analysis.