As 2026 approaches, affordability remains a dominant concern for Americans, with health insurance costs poised to rise sharply, especially in Florida. Government law attorney Chris Hand explained on This Week in Jacksonville that the end of COVID-era subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could have severe consequences.

Four moderate House Republicans have broken ranks with Speaker Mike Johnson by supporting a Democratic petition to extend health care subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.

If Obamacare subsidies expire at the end of the year, Florida will be hit harder than any other state. The clock is ticking with Congress struggling to unite behind a plan to extend tax credits.

Americans are feeling the strain already with less than three weeks to go until the expiration of COVID-era tax credits that have helped many people pay for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

Hopes for solving a major health insurance issue are fading in Washington.

Initial new federal data shows the number of Americans signing up for Affordable Care Act health insurance for 2026 is moderately higher than it was at a similar time last year.

A new survey of Affordable Care Act health insurance enrollees finds that many are already struggling with the high cost of health care.

The White House is circulating a proposal to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies for two more years.

President Donald Trump is once more targeting former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, and Trump is picking a political fight before next year’s elections.

A legislative package that could end the weekslong government shutdown leaves out any clear resolution on the expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits that have made private health insurance less costly for millions.

The Trump administration is indicating in court that it will only partially fund the federal food assistance program as the government shutdown reaches into a second month.

As the federal government shutdown approaches the one-month mark, the effects are already being felt by everyday Americans, says government law attorney Chris Hand during our weekly segment, Hand on Government on This Week In Jacksonville.

Notices of rising health insurance premiums are landing in voters’ mailboxes and sending some to town halls to vent their frustration.

To hear party leaders talk, the seventh day of the government shutdown sounded a lot like the first.

New Trump administration rules that give millions of people less time to sign up for the Affordable Care Act’s coverage, and bar some immigrants from buying the health care coverage, are facing a legal challenge from Democratic mayors.

House Republicans have unveiled the cost-saving centerpiece of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”.

Employees at Florida Blue, the largest health insurance provider in Jacksonville, spoke out Friday about the company’s decision to lay off hundreds of workers.

The Supreme Court agreed Friday to consider some reinstating preventative care coverage requirements under the Affordable Care Act that were struck down by a lower court.

A record 24 million people have signed up for insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act, former President Barack Obama’s landmark health legislation, as the program awaits an uncertain future under a Republican-controlled White House and Congress.

Americans can start signing up Friday for health care coverage offered through the Affordable Care Act marketplace for 2025.

People with private health insurance would be able to pick up over-the-counter methods like condoms, the “morning after” pill and birth control pills for free under a new rule the White House proposed on Monday.

Fifteen states have sued the Biden administration over a rule that is expected to allow 100,000 immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children to enroll next year in the federal Affordable Care Act’s health insurance.

Federal law that prohibits insurers from denying healthcare based on preexisting conditions, or kicking dependents off their parent’s coverage until age 26 is now codified separately into Michigan law.

The government can keep enforcing “Obamacare” requirements that say health insurance plans must cover preventative care, amid a legal battle over the mandates.

A federal judge’s ruling striking down a key part of the Affordable Care Act has been temporarily put on hold by a federal appeals court in New Orleans.

A federal judge in Texas who previously ruled to dismantle the Affordable Care Act struck down a narrower but key part of the nation’s health law.

Former President Barack Obama is headed to Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin in the closing days of the 2022 campaign to give a boost to Democrats running for governor, senator and on down the ballot.

More families who are offered expensive health insurance premiums from their employers will get a discount if they sign up instead for coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace this fall.

A federal judge in Texas has ruled that required coverage of an HIV prevention drug under the Affordable Care Act violates a Texas employer’s religious beliefs and undercut the broader system that determines which preventive drugs are covered in the U.S. The ruling was handed down Wednesday by Fort Worth-based U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, who ruled in 2018 that the entire ACA is invalid.

Former President Barack Obama has returned to the White House — for a few hours, to celebrate the 12th anniversary of his signature health care law.

People looking for health insurance in the grip of the omicron surge have through Saturday to sign up for taxpayer-subsidized private coverage under the Obama-era Affordable Care Act.

Patient advocates and some state governments say hospitals must do more to help patients deal with medical bills before the debt winds up in collections.

Time is running out if you want to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

The Supreme Court has dismissed a third major challenge to “Obamacare," preserving health insurance coverage for millions of Americans.

The Biden administration is reevaluating a plan by Georgia officials to overhaul how state residents buy health insurance under the Affordable Care Act

President Joe Biden and progressive Democrats have proposed to lower Medicare’s eligibility age to 60, to help older adults get affordable coverage.

President Joe Biden says 1 million Americans have signed up for health insurance under “Obamacare” during a special enrollment period for people needing coverage during the coronavirus pandemic.

Florida continues to lead the nation in the number of people taking advantage of a special enrollment period for coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

Millions of Americans who didn’t qualify for help to pay for health insurance before the pandemic now do because of the recently signed coronavirus relief plan.

I haven’t done any counting yet.”On health care, the numbers suggest that consumers' fears about medical costs could be eased by the new rescue package. States that run their own health insurance markets will offer the same enhanced assistance, although timetables for implementation may vary. Biden has opened up the health insurance markets as part of his coronavirus response. The higher health care subsidies are keyed to the pandemic and expire by the end of 2022. But it represents the biggest expansion of federal help for health insurance since the ACA’s enactment.

TALLAHASSEE – The Biden administration announced Tuesday that it will extend by three months a special enrollment period for Americans to sign up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, giving people until Aug. 15. The extension will give people additional time to tap into health-insurance subsidies that were included in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress this month. Congress increased the amount of the subsidies available for coverage through the federal health-insurance marketplace and also made more people eligible for tax credits to reduce premiums. The latest data show that more than 206,000 people have signed up for Obamacare coverage during the special enrollment period, of whom about 62,000 live in Florida according to the data

“What we’re going to do this time is let people know exactly what they’ve got,” House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn told The Associated Press in a recent interview. In Clyburn’s home state of South Carolina, that means more than $2 billion for state government coffers to be allocated by state legislators. “That’s where we made the big mistake with” both 2010 relief packages, Clyburn said. Under the plan, Badger will receive a $4,200 direct payment and a $6,600 child tax credit, as well as an increase in food assistance vouchers. Ad“It’s going to help take care of some bills,” Badger said.

I haven’t done any counting yet.”On health care, the numbers suggest that consumers' fears about medical costs could be eased by the new rescue package. States that run their own health insurance markets will offer the same enhanced assistance, although timetables for implementation may vary. Biden has opened up the health insurance markets as part of his coronavirus response. The higher health care subsidies are keyed to the pandemic and expire by the end of 2022. But it represents the biggest expansion of federal help for health insurance since the ACA's enactment.

AdBecause health insurance is so complicated, consumers are going to have to do their homework to figure out if there's something in the bill for them. And health care benefits are not like stimulus checks that can be blasted out. Her organization advocates on behalf of low-income people and was an early supporter of the health care law. AdThe bill would change the formulas for health insurance tax credits to make them more generous for most people, and also allow a wider number of individuals to qualify. Republicans cite the health insurance provisions as an example of coronavirus overreach by Democrats.

AdBecause health insurance is so complicated, consumers are going to have to do their homework to figure out if there's something in the bill for them. And health care benefits are not like stimulus checks that can be blasted out. Her organization advocates on behalf of low-income people and was an early supporter of the health care law. AdThe bill would change the formulas for health insurance tax credits to make them more generous for most people, and also allow a wider number of individuals to qualify. Republicans cite the health insurance provisions as an example of coronavirus overreach by Democrats.

Government figures out Friday, Dec. 18 show sign-ups for Obamacare health insurance plans are trending more than 6% higher amid surging coronavirus cases and deepening economic misery. Numbers from New Jersey and Pennsylvania were not counted in Friday's tally from HealthCare.gov states. President Donald Trump failed to repeal “Obamacare" his first year in office, an early defeat he never forgot. Nonetheless, the Trump administration ignored calls to provide a special sign-up period related to the pandemic, something President-elect Joe Biden has said he will do. “This is the largest increase in HealthCare.gov enrollment since 2016 and it's the only increase during the Trump administration,” said Joshua Peck, who once served as marketing chief for the program.

WASHINGTON – A crush of sign-ups expected Tuesday on the last day of open enrollment for HealthCare.gov could help solidify the standing of “Obamacare” as an improbable survivor in the Donald Trump years. In 36 states that use HealthCare.gov,- Dec. 15 is deadline day for coverage that starts Jan. 1, while another 14 states and Washington, D.C., have later dates. Analysts and advocates who follow the annual insurance sign-ups say interest has gotten stronger with the coronavirus pandemic gripping the nation. Medicaid expansion, another component of the health law, covers about 12 million people. Typically people who start the enrollment process before the end of deadline day are given a chance to complete it.

In 36 states that use HealthCare.gov,- Dec. 15 is deadline day for coverage that starts Jan. 1, while another 14 states and Washington, D.C., have later dates. Analysts and advocates who follow the annual insurance sign-ups say interest has gotten stronger with the coronavirus pandemic gripping the nation. Medicaid expansion, another component of the health law, covers about 12 million people. Trump administration officials say what they have done is to focus on the smooth operation of the HealthCare.gov website for those who may want the coverage. Typically people who start the enrollment process before the end of deadline day are given a chance to complete it.

Separately, Biden picked a Harvard infectious disease expert, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Biden also announced other top members of his health care team, though some posts remain unfilled. But overseeing the coronavirus response will be the most complicated task he has ever contemplated. The core components of HHS are the boots on the ground of the government’s coronavirus response. Early in California’s coronavirus response, Becerra defended broad shutdowns Gov.

About 26 million people were uninsured last year — before the wave of layoffs that followed the virus shutdown this spring. Nonetheless, research from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation suggests that about 6 in 10 uninsured people would be eligible for some form of subsidized coverage under the Obama-era law. Open enrollment for subsidized private plans through HealthCare.gov is underway and ends Dec. 15. Additionally, the Trump administration is taking no special action to promote the availability of coverage at a time of greater need for many. About 11.4 million people currently have private coverage under the ACA.

And they (the Affordable Care Act) helped me. Some patients at UF Health said they rely on the Affordable Care Act. One woman, who asked not to be named, said the Affordable Care Act really helps those on the poverty line. He wants a new health care program and says the current Affordable Care Act needs to go. President-elect Joe Biden was in the Obama Administration when the Affordable Care Act first came was created.

(AP Photo/Francois Mori)ISLAMABAD — Pakistani authorities have imposed a mini-lockdown in some areas of the capital, Islamabad, sealing off hot spots to contain the rising coronavirus. The government says the restrictions will remain in place until there is an improvement in the situation. Similar mini-lockdowns have also been imposed in hot spots of Pakistan’s other major cities, including the southern port city of Karachi, the eastern city of Lahore and the garrison city of Rawalpindi. But people are still ignoring social distancing rules, although authorities are fining those not wearing masks and violating social distancing rules. The latest development comes hours after Pakistan on Tuesday reported 1,637 new COVID-19 cases and 23 deaths in the past 24 hours.

WASHINGTON – When the Supreme Court weighs the fate of “Obamacare,” arguments will revolve around arcane points of law like severability — whether the justices can surgically snip out part of the law and leave the rest. But what’s at stake has real-world consequences for just about every American, as well as the health care industry, a major source of jobs and tax revenues. COVID-19 would become America's newest pre-existing condition, for more than 10 million people who have tested positive so far. Many Republicans, meanwhile, want to scale back the government's support for health care. Health care has only gotten more complicated.

The Supreme Court could have heard the case before the election, but set arguments for a week after. The timing could add a wrinkle to the case since President-elect Joe Biden strongly supports the health care law. Without the penalty, the law's mandate to have health insurance is unconstitutional, the GOP-led states argue. However, enrollment in the law’s insurance markets has stayed relatively stable at more than 11 million people, even after the effective date of the penalty’s elimination in 2019. The case could also be rendered irrelevant if the new Congress were to restore a modest penalty for not buying health insurance.

WASHINGTON – When the Supreme Court weighs the fate of “Obamacare” on Tuesday, arguments will revolve around arcane points of law like severability — whether the justices can surgically snip out part of the law and leave the rest. But what’s at stake has real-world consequences for just about every American, as well as the health care industry, a major source of jobs and tax revenues. COVID-19 would become America's newest pre-existing condition, for more than 10 million people who have tested positive so far. Many Republicans, meanwhile, want to scale back the government's support for health care. Health care has only gotten more complicated.

Images from the collection of the Supreme Court of the United States may not be used for any advertising or endorsement purposes, or in any way that might convey a false impression of Supreme Court sponsorship or approval.) WASHINGTON – She didn't have to wear a black robe or even be in Washington, but Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined her new colleagues at the Supreme Court on Monday to hear arguments for the first time. Like her colleagues, Barrett asked questions in both cases. As the junior justice, Barrett asked her questions last. So it’s unclear when Barrett will move in to her offices at the court, taking over the space of her predecessor, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Never has the Senate confirmed a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election. Republicans have bristled at Democrats’ claim that the Obama-era health law, known as “Obamacare,” is in jeopardy if Barrett joins the court. As the Senate committee met, protesters, some shouting “Stop the confirmation!” demonstrated outside the Capitol across the street from the Supreme Court. Unable to stop the confirmation, Democrats have been trying unsuccessfully to stall the process so the winner of the White House race could name the new nominee. Senate Majority Leader McConnell, R-Ky., has defended Barrett as “exceptionally qualified” as well as his own decision to push her nomination forward.

Both promise coverage for pre-existing conditions. One which would amend the HIPAA law to make sure that pre-existing conditions are always covered. The other bill ... is actually a bill that should the ACA be struck down by the Supreme Court, that it would require that pre-existing conditions still be covered,” Rutherford said. It explodes costs and it puts a ceiling on what insurance companies are willing to pay," Deegan shot back. The rest are White,” Rutherford said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., and Democratic challenger Donna Deegan squared off Wednesday evening in the only televised debate in the 4th Congressional District race. During the debate, Deegan and Rutherford both touched on the coronavirus pandemic, health care, the economy and social justice. The individual income tax cuts expire in 2025. Deegan said she would support that plan, while Rutherford said absolutely not. People simply want racial justice.”Watch: Rutherford & Deegan ask each other a questionTo learn more about the candidates, visit News4Jax’s Voter’s Guide.

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett listens during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON – The Latest on the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett (all times local):6:05 p.m.Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing has gaveled to a close for the day, wrapping up three days of testimony. ___HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BARRETT HEARINGS:Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett was back on Capitol Hill for the third day of her confirmation hearings. The confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett paused for about 40 minutes because of audio difficulties. ___9 a.m.Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is back before the Senate Judiciary Committee to face more questions from senators at her confirmation hearing.

Yes, the Trump administration is asking the high court to throw out the Obama-era healthcare law, and if she is confirmed quickly Barrett could be on the Supreme Court when the court hears the case. Democrats also repeatedly brought up words Barrett wrote in 2017, when she was a law professor, criticizing Chief Justice John Roberts' 2012 opinion saving the Affordable Care Act. Barrett wrote that Roberts had "pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute." But the court could simply “sever” the mandate from the law and leave the rest of the law alone. One other key observer of the case suggested the Affordable Care Act would likely stand.

Yes, the Trump administration is asking the high court to throw out the Obama-era healthcare law, and if she is confirmed quickly Barrett could be on the Supreme Court when the court hears the case. Democrats also repeatedly brought up words Barrett wrote in 2017, when she was a law professor, criticizing Chief Justice John Roberts' 2012 opinion saving the Affordable Care Act. Barrett wrote that Roberts had "pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute." But the court could simply “sever” the mandate from the law and leave the rest of the law alone. One other key observer of the case suggested the Affordable Care Act would likely stand.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Health care was a hot topic for Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris on the debate stage Wednesday night. And many of you might be wondering where their running mates, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, stand on the issue. Meanwhile, here’s what Biden’s campaign website says about his health care policy: “As president, Biden will protect the Affordable Care Act from these continued attacks. Instead of starting from scratch and getting rid of private insurance, he has a plan to build on the Affordable Care Act by giving Americans more choice, reducing health care costs, and making our health care system less complex to navigate.”The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in the case on Nov. 10. If the Affordable Care Act is overturned, new legislation would be required to determine what safeguards are in place for people with pre-existing conditions.

Barrett’s confirmation would cement a 6-3 conservative majority on the court, and she has compared her approach to the law generally to that of her mentor, Justice Antonin Scalia, one of the dissenters in the gay marriage case. Reversing the court’s decision in the gay marriage case would seem a tall order, but Thomas’ statement underscored liberals’ fears that the court could roll back some of their hardest-fought gains. The justices seemed prepared to uphold Delaware's political party provision, and the argument passed without any comment about the partisan fighting over the Supreme Court’s makeup. The justices will hear a total of 10 arguments this week and next, but the term is so far short on high-profile cases. The justices last heard argument in their courtroom in February and skipped planned arguments in March and April before hearing cases by phone in May.

FILE - In this May 3, 2020, file photo the setting sun shines on the Supreme Court building on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Supreme Court opens a new term Monday, Oct. 5. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court opens a new term Monday with Republicans on the cusp of realizing a dream 50 years in the making, a solid conservative majority that might roll back abortion rights, expand gun rights and shrink the power of government. Barrett's confirmation would cement a 6-3 conservative majority and diminish Chief Justice John Roberts' ability to moderate the court's decisions. Four years ago, Republicans were content to leave a Supreme Court seat open through the election, even if it meant having an eight-justice court decide any election challenges.

WASHINGTON – About 2.5 million more working-age Americans were uninsured last year, even before the coronavirus pandemic struck, according to a government report issued Wednesday. The increase in the uninsured rate came even as the economy was chugging along in an extended period of low unemployment. Lack of affordable coverage was the top reason given for being uninsured, cited by nearly 3 out of 4 surveyed. In 2018, 26.3 million adults ages 18 to 64 were uninsured. Initial estimates from private experts that suggested more than 25 million people could have become uninsured due to pandemic job losses appear to have been too high.

Barrett tells the Senate Judiciary Committee that the White House initially contacted her Sept. 19, the day after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, creating the court vacancy. Trump made the offer when she visited the White House on Monday, Sept. 21, “and I accepted,” she wrote. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was “even more convinced” of Barrett after their brief meeting. The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hold hearings Oct. 12. At the Capitol, Vice President Mike Pence said Barrett “represents the best of America.” The White House formally submitted the nomination Tuesday.

The court will hear a case challenging the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's health care law just after the election, adding to the urgency of the issue. Asked about Feinstein's earlier comments, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, another committee member, said “religious faith should not be at issue here.” He then pivoted to health care. On Monday, Harris told voters in North Carolina that without the health care law, birth control coverage could be eliminated and pregnancy could be considered a preexisting condition. In focusing on health care, Democrats would be taking a different posture than in the last Supreme Court confirmation fight, when they argued that then-nominee Brett Kavanaugh was not fit to be a justice. They will also tie the health care issue to the pandemic and to abortion rights, the aides said.

Trump spoke at an airport hangar in swing-state North Carolina to a crowd that included white-coated, mask-wearing health care workers. For Trump, health care represents a major piece of unfinished business. Democrats, unable to slow the Republican march to Senate confirmation of a replacement for Ginsburg, are ramping up their election-year health care messaging. The gap narrowed for lowering costs of health care: 48% named Biden, while 42% picked Trump. The scramble to show concrete accomplishments on health care comes as Trump is chafing under criticism that he never delivered a Republican alternative to Obamacare.

A narrow ruling might leave most of the law intact, sparing protections for people with preexisting conditions, Medicaid expansion, health insurance subsidies and other core elements. It's one the few avenues Democrats have to try to block a Supreme Court nominee in the GOP-controlled chamber. In a Kaiser poll earlier this month, 49% of Americans viewed the health law favorably, while 42% did not. The latest case to threaten the health law rests on arcane arguments. Brought by Texas and other conservative-led states, the suit argued that without the tax, the health law's requirement that most Americans carry health insurance was unconstitutional.

Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, about the Supreme Court. – Joe Biden on Sunday used the sudden Supreme Court vacancy to reinforce his argument that the upcoming election should be a referendum on President Donald Trump's handling of health care and the coronavirus. Biden kept the focus on health care, which has proven to be a winning issue for Democrats during previous elections and could be even more resonant amid the pandemic. “Millions of Americans are voting because they know their health care hangs in the balance," Biden said during remarks at Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Their refusal to put names to Biden’s potential court pick underscores the political peril that the Supreme Court debate holds for Biden.

VIDEO: The system of health insurance exchanges is set to open at midnight. Open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans began on Nov. 1 on HealthCare.gov for Floridians who don't get health insurance through their jobs. In Duval County, census figures show more than 53,000 people who don't have health insurance qualify for a plan with no monthly premium. Coverage can be more affordable with financial help. Health insurance helps protect people when unexpected injuries and illnesses happen.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida Blue announced that Affordable Care Act customers will have access to Lyft rides as part of the benefits package in individual health-insurance policies, beginning Feb. 1. The policyholders will have $100 in transportation benefits from Lyft, a ride-sharing service. Jacksonville-based Florida Blue, which offers Affordable Care Act policies in 67 counties, has sold individual policies to more than 1 million people in 2019 under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. That is out of more than 1.6 million people in Florida who have purchased individual policies on the Obamacare exchange this year. In a news release announcing the ride-sharing benefit, Florida Blue noted that people without reliable transportation can miss appointments.