Designed by Kelly Emrick, DHSc, PhD, MBA

How To Use The Simulator: To use the 2026 Subsidy Cliff Simulator, enter your projected 2026 annual household income, select the number of people in your household, and adjust the slider to your current age. The tool immediately recalculates your monthly premium under two scenarios: “Current Law” (with enhanced subsidies) and “Expired” (if Congress allows the subsidies to lapse).

What This Tells Us: This simulator vividly illustrates the financial volatility facing millions of Americans. It reveals that the expiration doesn’t just mean “paying a little more,” it often results in a massive “Subsidy Cliff.” You will see that for older adults (ages 50-64) earning just above 400% of the Federal Poverty Level (roughly $60k-$70k for an individual), premiums can instantly jump from affordable levels to nearly $1,000 per month. It highlights how the current policy protects middle-income families from age-based price spikes and shows precisely how much financial risk is transferred back to consumers if the enhanced tax credits are not renewed.