What exactly expired on December 31, 2025?
Published 2026-07-02 · Updated July 2026
Two things went away at the end of 2025: (1) the 8.5% cap that limited benchmark premiums to 8.5% of income for people above 400% FPL, and (2) the more generous subsidy schedule below 400% that lowered what everyone paid.
For households above 400% of poverty, item (1) is the painful one — the difference between a capped premium and paying full freight. That’s the cliff.