Maddow Blog-It's not just Medicaid: Republicans' megabill would sabotage the Affordable Care Act

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4. Plans, states warn of Obamacare chaos due to GOP megabill

This crappy bill will defund and kill the Affordable Care Act

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https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/06/02/congress/plans-states-warn-of-obamacare-chaos-due-to-gop-megabill-00377395

Private insurers and state officials are warning of utter chaos in the insurance markets if a last-minute change to the House GOP’s megabill survives in the Senate.

The policy could lead to higher premiums for people who shop for plans on the Obamacare exchanges and cause massive turmoil for actuaries, and leave brokers and state officials with little time between when the law is enacted and the start of open enrollment in the fall to understand the many ways the change affects Affordable Care Act plans.

Under the bill, which the House passed recently, certain federal payments to insurers that President Donald Trump canceled during his first term would resume next year, but only if plans refuse to cover abortions, which they are obligated to cover in 12 states and the District of Columbia.

The policy adds to uncertainty over eligibility changes and the looming expiration of ACA enhanced premium subsidies, and could lead to insurance premiums increasing so steeply they could jeopardize the Obamacare market, according to one insurance executive granted anonymity to speak freely on the issue.

“Putting all three of these into 2026 at once is truly putting the market at risk for a death spiral with rates,” the executive said. “We think Republicans have not really calculated this one.”