The federal government shutdown has ended, but Ohioans are still looking down the barrel of significant increases in health insurance costs starting in 2026.

The vast majority of Americans, including Republicans and those who identify as strong supporters of President Donald Trump, want Congress to renew the enhanced tax credits for people who buy their health insurance from the Affordable Care Act Marketplace, according to a poll released this month.

A trio of Senate Democrats urged Republican lawmakers at a recent press conference to extend and make permanent the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire at the end of 2025.

March 23 marked the 14th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act’s enactment, a date celebrated by numerous government officials for the program now providing nearly half a million Ohioans with health insurance.

A record 477,793 Ohioans enrolled in the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace Plan in 2024, according to data compiled by the The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This is an increase from last year’s report, which recorded only 294,644 Ohioans participating in the program, and more so from 2022, when 259,999 enrolled. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a new report showing that the national uninsured rate reached an all-time low of 7.7 percent in early 2023.

The Biden administration announced new initiatives Friday that could reduce health care costs, though none will take effect immediately.