Amid ‘Family Glitch’ Fix, Enhanced ACA Subsidy Expiration Looms

While the Biden administration has proposed a long-awaited fix for the Affordable Care Act’s “family glitch” — potentially making coverage more affordable for thousands — the looming expiration of major ACA subsidy expansion threatens to overshadow that progress.

Health insurers that spoke to AIS Health, a division of MMIT, seem concerned about the potential drawback of generous financial help for exchange enrollees, but are not necessarily ready to hit the panic button yet.

“We have the unfortunate benefit, I’d characterize it, as having been through in the past other situations where there was uncertainty about the future of the market,” says Bill Tuthill, vice president of market strategy and federal markets for Highmark Inc. Perhaps the most frightening times occurred when all or major parts of the ACA were in danger of being struck down by the Supreme Court — but that threat didn’t pan out, Tuthill tells AIS Health, a division of MMIT.