On October 29, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the United States released a Fact Sheet indicating that the average monthly premium for the lowest-cost “bronze” health insurance plan is around $50. This is in response to the claims that premiums will soar if enhanced tax credits are not extended, marking the first public rebuttal by the Trump administration.
According to the Fact Sheet, individuals enrolled through the federal health insurance marketplace Healthcare.gov only need to pay an average of $50 per month for the lowest-cost “bronze” insurance plan after applying current tax credits. The briefing highlights that nearly 60% of eligible renewing enrollees will be able to obtain their selected coverage category for $50 or less per month.
Furthermore, the document emphasizes that while this amount is $13 higher on average than in 2025, it is still $20 lower than the average premium before the implementation of enhanced subsidies in 2020. It also projects that by 2026, tax credits will cover an average of 91% of premiums for eligible enrollees in the lowest-cost insurance plans, up from 85% in 2020 before temporary pandemic policies took effect.
However, according to estimates by the healthcare research institution KFF, individuals who currently receive tax credits to maintain their existing insurance coverage could face a 114% increase in premium contributions. During the Biden administration, Congress twice approved and extended the enhanced tax credit policy, enabling individuals below the poverty line (annual income $15,000 to $20,000) to qualify for “zero-premium” plans, while low-income individuals could access zero-premium “silver” plans with an average out-of-pocket cost of $87.
Democrats are concerned that without the continuation of federal subsidies, consumers will experience significant impacts, with millions facing substantial premium hikes and many potentially opting out of coverage. The government has yet to open the “window-shopping” feature on the HealthCare.gov website, allowing individuals to compare insurance plans in advance. A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stated that this feature will be activated before the end of this week.
(Adapted from a report by “The Hill”)