Ashley Kirzinger director, Survey Methodology and associate director, Public Opinion and Survey Research with KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research, polling and news organization that conducted the survey, says with open enrollment right around the corner, many people remain unaware the tax credits have an expiration date.
"And when we ask people who purchase this type of coverage, 'What would you do if your premiums nearly doubled?' four in 10 said that they would go without health coverage," she explained.
Losing that extra help would increase premiums by an average of more than 100% from around $800 in 2025 to $1,900 in 2026. Around 24 million Americans had Affordable Care Act Marketplace health coverage as of April 2025, a record high for the fourth year in a row, according to federal data.
Kirzinger added that people without benefits from an employer or federal programs like Medicaid or Medicare are struggling the most to afford healthcare.
"This is something that has bipartisan support," she continued. "Majorities of Democrats, Independents and Republicans all want to see the federal government extend these subsidies for people who buy their own coverage."
According to the poll, more than eight in 10 people say they would be concerned about the expirations of the tax credits if they heard that health insurance would become unaffordable for many people who buy their own coverage, that people would lose coverage, and that millions of people who work at small businesses or are self-employed would be directly impacted because they rely on the ACA Marketplace.