Congressional Democrats ask for extension to Open Enrollment deadline

Virginia’s six-member Democratic U.S. House delegation is collectively urging the director of the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange to extend the Open Enrollment period through May 1, 2026.

“Doing so will give Virginians additional time and flexibility to select plans that best fit their needs,” the delegation wrote in a letter to Keven Patchett dated Friday.

The effort comes as U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, said Friday that Senate Republicans aren’t on board with a proposal from Senate Democrats to extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits as part of an agreement to reopen the federal government.

I’m being charitable saying Thune characterized the MAGAs in the Senate not being on board with the idea.

“I think everybody who follows this knows that’s a nonstarter. There is no way. The Obamacare extension is the negotiation. That’s what we’re going to negotiate once the government opens up,” Thune told reporters on Friday.

The tax credits are the key negotiating point for Democrats, with premiums for Virginia families enrolled in the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange expected to go up as much as $500 per month without them – not that Senate Republicans care; the federal contribution to their healthcare isn’t on the chopping block here.

Open Enrollment for the 2025-2026 cycle got rolling last weekend.

The current end date is Jan. 30.

The incoming Abigail Spanberger administration can deal with this when she is sworn in on Jan. 17.

That’s cutting it close, of course – less than two weeks.

Folks are going to want to know well ahead of time how much time they have to work with.

“We therefore ask that you extend the Open Enrollment period through May 1, 2026, to allow Virginians to see their final incomes and tax bills and make final health insurance decisions with a complete understanding of their financial situations,” the Democratic delegation wrote in their letter. “Given the precedent for Open Enrollment extensions in Virginia, we believe that this is a necessary step to give Virginians more time and information to make exceptionally consequential healthcare decisions.”