With Senate Republicans and Democrats poised for a deal to end the partial shutdown of the federal government ongoing for weeks now, the chief point of contention that led to the stalemate remains, well, contentious. That is, the year-end expiration of enhanced premium subsidies for health insurance purchased on the Affordable Care Act's exchanges.
The annual open enrollment period for modification and purchase of those plans began November 1 and is set to end mid-December if nothing changes in the negotiations in the House and Senate to come.
For the rough quarter of Overdrive readers who've relied on those plans in recent years, as reported in May, owner-operators' cash outlays for plan premiums could rise if nothing changes and enhanced subsidies expire. The last time we surveyed readers about the often difficult-to-navigate landscape for health coverage in January 2024, reliance on ACA plans was on a clearly rising trajectory with savings delivered via federal subsidies for more buyers there, in place since 2021 passage of American Rescue Plan legislation.
What was also clear in preceding years was the rise of non-traditional health coverage options, like membership-group health-share plans, generally found to be more affordable for member payers. Via the survey below, weigh in on what you're utilizing in terms of current coverage, if any at all, and the outlook for next year.
[Related: Health insurance for owner-operators: Covering personal risks is a cost of doing business]
