Wyoming insurance officials warn ending enhanced ACA tax credits and new enrollment rules could sharply raise premiums

Wyoming’s insurance commissioner and health department officials told the Joint Labor, Health & Social Services Committee that implementation of HR1 (referred to in testimony as the "One Big Beautiful Bill") will change how people enroll and qualify for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans and that the scheduled expiration of enhanced premium tax credits could sharply increase premiums for many consumers.

Jill Reinke, senior health policy analyst at the Wyoming Department of Insurance, told the committee that key administrative changes include ending automatic annual reenrollment and provisional eligibility for premium tax credits, and shortening annual open enrollment: beginning in 2026 enrollment will open Nov. 1 and close Dec. 15 rather than Jan. 15. Reinke said the change will require a major public outreach campaign because about 10 million people nationally were automatically reenrolled last year and many Wyoming consumers will need to verify eligibility sooner.

Reinke said insurers and state officials have prepared two premium scenarios — one assuming enhanced premium tax credits remain in place and one assuming they expire —…