Congress is barreling toward a critical deadline for extending the enhanced ObamaCare subsidies at the heart of the government shutdown, and it may already be too late to shield the public from sticker shock with open-enrollment window shopping underway.

If somehow there is a deal done ahead of Nov.1, which looks unlikely, states and the federal government may still have time to incorporate the enhanced subsidies into their prices. But Republicans have made it clear that there will need to be changes to the tax credits before they even entertain an extension.

And any policy changes will only increase the headaches for state-level ObamaCare administrators, said Jessica Altman, executive director of Covered California.

“I would strongly say if there's going to be a big policy conversation about marketplace affordability, it's too late to do that for 2026 coverage, and it should be done for 2027 coverage,” Altman said.

“The later it is, and the more different than it is from the structure that we have today, the longer it will take, the more burdensome it will be to marketplaces and consumers, and the more messy it will be,” she added.

There's no sign of progress in resolving the shutdown, now the second longest in history. Democrats are demanding Republicans renew the enhanced tax credits that help make coverage more affordable for millions of Americans, but Republicans aren’t budging from their position that any talk about health care won’t happen until after the government reopens.

The law's original subsidies will remain in place if Congress lets the enhanced version expire. But they cut off for people earning 400 percent above the poverty level — about $62,000 for an individual and $128,000 for a family of four.

There is no such cap for the enhanced credits, so premiums for people above the 400 percent threshold have been capped at no more than 8.5 percent of annual income.

Enhanced subsidies have been most popular with Americans in higher income brackets, including small business owners. If the enhanced subsidies........

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