By early December, enrollment for 2026 exchange plans in the state had reached nearly 125,000 \u2014 only 800 fewer than the number of signups for 2025 plans at this time last year \u2014 despite likely dramatic cost increases due to the expected expiration of the federal subsidies.<\/p>\n
With the expectation that Congress would not act, Lamont had signaled this week that he would use his emergency authority to provide assistance to those residents\u00a0most vulnerable to a spike in health premiums.<\/p>\n
The General Assembly last month set aside $500 million in surplus funds for use offsetting federal cuts, including changes limiting eligibility for Medicaid and federal SNAP food assistance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there are going to be a lot of real needs,\u201d Lamont said earlier this week.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019ll have a lot more clarity, I think by the end of this month. We\u2019ll be prepared to act in January.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Thursday morning, Lamont told a business association, the MetroHartford Alliance, that Connecticut cannot meet every need, a position that creates tension with some Democratic lawmakers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t make up all the federal shortfall. I\u2019ve got to convince the legislature I can\u2019t do everything,\u201d Lamont said. But he added, his administration would act quickly on protecting health coverage, assuring \u201cthat we can take care of the most vulnerable, because that\u2019s what Connecticut does.\u201d<\/p>\n
The $70 million for health premiums represent the first draw down from the $500 million contingency. Barring disapproval from a committee of the legislature\u2019s top six leaders, Lamont has the authority to unilaterally draw from the $500 million until the legislature returns for its next regular session in February.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said the governor\u2019s action was exactly what the legislature envisioned in passing the emergency bill.<\/p>\n
None of the six leaders disapproved of Lamont\u2019s move, including Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding, R-Brookfield, who voted against the bill granting Lamont the emergency authority.<\/p>\n
\u201cI support it. I think this is what the fund was intended for,\u201d said Harding, who would have preferred providing the money through a direct appropriation, not creation of a $500 million discretionary fund.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven the disappointing performance at the federal level, and frankly our own Connecticut [congressional] delegation, in failing to come up with a plan, I can appreciate the governor\u2019s attempt to land this airplane gently for people,\u201d said House Minority Leader Vincent J. Candelora, R-North Branford.<\/p>\n
At issue is an enhanced tax credit that was created in 2021 and extended through 2025. Pegged to income, it lowered the costs of premiums and contributed to a more-than-doubling of enrollment in what is popularly known as Obamacare, from 11 million to 24 million, according to nonprofit research foundation KFF.<\/p>\n
Health care has been a consistently challenging and polarizing issue for Congress, especially for Republicans who have struggled to coalesce behind a plan of their own since the passage of the Affordable Care Act more than a decade ago.<\/p>\n
And if the subsidies lapse and costs soar next year, the issue is expected to once again play a central role in the 2026 midterm elections with the House and Senate majorities at stake. Democrats ran heavily on health care and Obamacare repeal efforts during the 2018 midterm elections in Trump\u2019s first term and took back control of the House in a\u00a0wave election.<\/p>\n
With premium hikes looming, the Senate voted Thursday on competing health care proposals, though only one directly addressed the imminent lapse of the subsidies. Democrats voted on a three-year extension of the enhanced premium subsidies that were created in 2021 as part of the party\u2019s pandemic relief bill.<\/p>\n
The Republicans\u2019\u00a0bill would let the\u00a0subsidies\u00a0expire at the end of the year, and instead expand health savings accounts. Those who earn up to 700% of the federal poverty level would receive up to $1,500 in their HSAs.<\/p>\n
Both failed to advance in key procedural votes that required at least 60 votes. The GOP bill was blocked in a nearly party-line vote, and Democrats only won over\u00a0four\u00a0Republican senators when they needed 13.<\/p>\n
But the bills were doomed before the vote series even opened on Thursday, prompting the governor to say, \u201cThis was not unpredicted chaos. We knew this was coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/772C4366-74D1-4318-B42A-1E6D6FF3FAD5-771x578.jpg\")
The governor hinted he woudl asct quickly in remarks earlier Thursday to the MetroHarataford Alliance. Credit: mark pazniokas \/ ctmirror.org<\/p>\n
Still, Democrats saw it as a chance to get Republicans on the record about whether they supported renewing the pandemic-era subsidies. And with Trump largely\u00a0staying on the sidelines<\/a>, the GOP\u2019s measure was seen as a response to that legislation as health care continues to be a politically fraught issue for them.\u00a0<\/p>\n Thursday\u2019s vote was a consolation\u00a0prize for Democrats who voted with Republicans last month to reopen the government after a 43-day shutdown. Senate GOP leaders promised a vote on extending the subsidies, which were at the heart of Democrats\u2019 demands during the shutdown.<\/p>\n