Small businesses and their employees could lose health care coverage if ACA subsidies are cut

Farmers and their employees are among those who stand to 
'lose the most' if ACA subsidies are cut. (KFF Health photo)

As the debate over federal Affordable Care Act subsidies stalls efforts to reopen the government, small business owners worry that their employees won't be able to afford health insurance if the subsidies are cut. 

For lawmakers grappling with ACA decisions, any cuts could impact the 2026 Congressional elections.

Small-business owners such as farmers, dentists and barbers are among those "who stand to lose the most should Congress let the additional, generous federal subsidies put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic lapse," reports Amanda Seitz of KFF Health News. 

ACA subsidies cover nearly 24 million Americans -- and almost half of all those enrollees either own a small business or work for one. Collectively, the group "is more likely to vote Republican and overwhelmingly backed President Donald Trump in last year’s election," Seitz writes. But "even Trump’s own pollsters found deep support for the Obamacare subsidies."

According to Seitz, "Nearly 6 in 10 Obamacare enrollees live in a Republican-held congressional district."

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican who is up for reelection in 2026, "broke with her party last month, calling on the GOP to extend the subsidies," Seitz adds. "Greene said in an interview that rising health care costs are the 'No. 1 issue' she hears about from people living in her district."