Connecticut’s Democratic elected officials have been crisscrossing the state to warn about the impacts of Medicaid cuts in President Donald J. Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The measure, along with other federal policy changes, will also impact people who purchase plans through state-based exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act. These plans are often referred to as “qualified health plans,” “marketplace plans” or “ACA plans.”

Roughly 150,000 residents purchase health insurance through Access Health CT, the state’s health insurance exchange. Many of the cuts to the exchange plans will happen before the widely-discussed changes to Medicaid, with some changes to the ACA plans going into effect as soon as this year.

Here’s what you need to know about those upcoming changes.

Enhanced premium tax credits

Around 90% of Connecticut residents who purchase a plan on the exchange receive financial support to help cover the cost. At the end of 2025, one type of subsidy, known as “enhanced premium tax credits,” is set to expire. As a result, Connecticut residents with exchange plans could expect to pay $1,700 more on average every year for their health insurance, according to Access Health CT. Over 135,000 people will lose at least some financial support. A fifth of those people, or roughly 27,000, will no longer be eligible for any financial assistance.

The federal government originally passed the “enhanced” premium tax credits in 2021 as part of the American Rescue Plan Act and extended them through the end of 2025 as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. The Affordable Care Act already provided financial assistance to people with qualifying incomes who purchased exchange plans. The enhanced subsidies in ARPA and the IRA were meant to give more financial support during COVID-19 to people who already received it, as well as provide some to people who made a bit too much to qualify for subsidies under the ACA.

Unless Congress extends the enhanced subsidies before the end of the year, they will expire on Dec. 31. People who make over 400% of the federal poverty level annually and qualify for enhanced subsidies based on their income and household size will no longer receive financial support. People who make less than 400% of the federal poverty level will still receive financial support, but it will be reduced. In 2025, 400% of the federal poverty level for a family of four equates to an annual income of roughly $127,000.

The expiration of the enhanced subsidies will also deal a major blow to Covered Connecticut, a program that provides no-cost exchange plans to residents who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but still earn 175% or less than the federal poverty level. Covered Connecticut currently provides more than 40,000 residents with no-cost health and dental coverage. The Department of Social Services estimates it would cost the state $30 million annually to continue the program.

State budget officials recently projected last fiscal year’s spending plan closed out with an almost $2.2 billion surplus.

A spokesperson for DSS said the agency is awaiting more guidance from federal agencies before reviewing the information with Gov. Ned Lamont. Once “he has decided on a course of action, the administration will discuss next steps with legislators and other relevant stakeholders. Any changes to revenue or appropriations resulting from the Trump budget will require legislative approval.”

Coverage for immigrants

Federal policy changes will also impact access to exchange plans for people with certain immigration status, with some measures going into effect almost immediately.

Beginning in August 2025, recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, will no longer be eligible to enroll in health coverage through the exchange. The federal policy allowing them to access ACA plans only went into effect in November 2024 and was overturned by a “final rule” issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, in June. Less than 200 Connecticut residents will be impacted by this change, according to Access Health CT.

As a result of the “big beautiful bill,” green card holders who can’t qualify for Medicaid because they haven’t been residents for a minimum of five years will no longer receive tax credits that allow them to purchase discounted plans on the exchange. This change will go into effect in January 2026 and will impact roughly 4,855 enrollees in Connecticut, according to data provided by Access Health CT to the comptroller’s office.

Effective January 2027, financial assistance will only be available to certain types of immigrants, including legal permanent residents, as well as people who entered the U.S. through the Cuban-Haitian Entrant Program. Roughly 11,000 residents, including refugees, asylees, trafficking survivors and humanitarian parolees will no longer qualify for financial assistance.

Changes to enrollment and income verification timelines

There are also pending administrative changes.

Generally, people can only enroll in an exchange plan between Nov. 1 and mid-December, but a “special enrollment period” allows people with incomes at or below 150% of the federal poverty level to enroll in any month. The special enrollment period provision will be eliminated on Aug. 25 of this year.

Also beginning Aug. 25, CMS will be changing the ways in which people must verify their incomes for financial help, including shortening the time period to submit documents from 150 days to 90 days.

Click here for a broader list of federal changes to Access Health CT plans.