Protect Our Care New Hampshire Hosts Briefing on ACA Open Enrollment as Health Care Crisis Deepens

Watch the full event here
Concord, NH — Today, Randy Hayes, Convener of the Kent Street Coalition Health Care Working Group, and Christin H. D’Ovidio, Founder and Principal of Putney Consulting LLC, joined Protect Our Care New Hampshire to discuss what Granite Staters are facing as ACA open enrollment continues under the shadow of the Trump–GOP health care crisis.

Open enrollment runs November 1, 2025 through January 15, 2026 on HealthCare.gov, the federally-facilitated marketplace used by New Hampshire consumers. This year’s enrollment season arrives alongside significant marketplace upheaval: the average 2026 gross premium increase in New Hampshire is +17.3%, according to ACA Signups, and enhanced premium tax credits—relied on by the vast majority of enrollees—are set to expire at the end of 2025 unless Congress acts.
New Hampshire’s individual market continues to be served by four insurers:
Anthem, Ambetter from NH Healthy Families, WellSense Health Plan, and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. NHID reports that 65,117 Granite Staters selected a marketplace plan during the last full open enrollment period.

Nationally, about 92–93% of ACA enrollees receive premium tax credits, including the enhanced subsidies that 22 million of 24 million total enrollees depend upon. According to KFF, if these enhanced subsidies expire, out-of-pocket premiums could increase by an average of up to 114% for subsidized enrollees—an outcome that would be financially devastating for working families. Major outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Politico, and Investopedia have documented widespread consumer anxiety about catastrophic premium spikes if Congress fails to renew these credits.
Against this backdrop, speakers emphasized that Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are doubling down on their strategy to eliminate enhanced premium subsidies—placing New Hampshire families directly in harm’s way while protecting tax breaks for billionaires. After a 40-day shutdown that disrupted federal communications and delayed key guidance, families are logging on to see sharply higher premiums at the very moment Republicans are trying to dismantle their affordability protections.

Randy Hayes highlighted the unnecessary uncertainty Granite Staters are facing:
“People are trying to make responsible coverage decisions, but the marketplace is unstable because Washington has chosen brinkmanship over families. These enhanced tax credits are the backbone of affordability—losing them would push thousands of Granite Staters to the brink.”

Christin H. D’Ovidio underscored the economic impact:
“These subsidies don’t just help individuals—they stabilize the entire market. Pulling them away now, with premiums already rising, would be devastating for families and small businesses alike.”

Speakers also broke down the immediate issues facing consumers this year:
— Premiums rising more than 17% on average
— Uneven access to plan information because of delayed federal communications during the shutdown
— Confusion over whether enhanced subsidies will be available in 2026
— The impact of shifting pricing across Anthem, Ambetter, WellSense, and Harvard Pilgrim
Consumers, advocates, and the press were urged to help spread accurate information during this unstable enrollment season—and to press Congress to protect the enhanced tax credits millions depend on.
You can watch the full event here, and learn more about the health care issue here.

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