Open enrollment for the federal health insurance marketplace begins Nov. 1, and the extension of marketplace subsidies is at the heart of the ongoing government shutdown.
But in New Hampshire, marketplace experts are gearing up to help people navigate higher premiums, whether or not those subsidies are extended.
“It's in the headlines right now, so folks are very confused,” said Peter Ames, executive director of the Foundation for Healthy Communities, which offers free help to people purchasing their own health insurance. “Are they staying? Are they going? In addition to what the premium increases may be in the marketplace.”
Ames says they typically work with people in rural communities and those moving off Medicaid to buy their own health insurance, walking them through the process and helping them choose coverage plans that best meet their needs. More than 70,000 people in New Hampshire purchased health insurance through the marketplace in 2025.
This year, Ames anticipates explaining to customers why plans might cost more than last year.
“Those enhanced tax credits were significant, so they made a big change in affordability for folks to enroll at all,” Ames said, referring to federal changes to tax and spending policies passed as part of the budget reconciliation bill signed into law this summer.
Ames said losing subsidies on top of those changes could make it even harder for people to afford insurance plans.
“When prices go up like this, folks who will stay in the marketplace are often those that need the coverage the most,” Ames said. “Folks that are healthier or going to take a risk are gonna drop out, leaving the insurance market as a more expensive place. So for folks who are accessing the marketplace without tax credits, they will see an impact from this as well.”
The Foundation for Healthy Communities has also faced some of its own budgetary constraints. In the past they were able to offer in-person services across the state that help people sign up for insurance. They had six in-person representatives that focused on areas of need, like rural communities. But this year they’ll operate their services only out of their call center, which is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5pm.
The call center can be reached at 1-877-211-6284.
