ACA Subsidy Eligibility: What Changed for 2026

The temporary enhanced subsidies expired

From 2021 through 2025, temporarily enhanced premium tax credits expanded subsidy eligibility to people at any income level. Those enhancements expired December 31, 2025, and as of 2026 the standard, pre-2021 subsidy rules are back in place unless Congress passes new legislation extending them, which had not happened as of this writing.

The 400% income cap is back

Under the standard rules, households with income above 400% of the federal poverty level generally no longer qualify for a premium subsidy — a hard cutoff often called the “subsidy cliff.” Households below that threshold can still qualify for meaningful savings, but the calculation and the amount available has shifted compared to the past few years.

Why this is worth checking, not assuming

If you qualified for a subsidy in the past few years, it’s worth confirming your eligibility again rather than assuming nothing’s changed — your premium could be noticeably different this year even if your income hasn’t moved. And because subsidy rules are set at the federal level and can change again with future legislation, this is exactly the kind of thing worth double-checking each year rather than relying on old numbers.

Want a clear answer on what you actually qualify for right now? Get a free quote and Eli will run the numbers for your specific household.