Thousands of Nebraska families could see their health insurance costs double by January as enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies are set to expire December 31.

As Congress circles the issue, a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about their health costs going up in the next year. Those worries extend across age groups and include people with and without health insurance, the poll found.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand held a conference on Thursday calling for an end to the government shutdown and an extension of Affordable Health Act tax credits.

The Affordable Care Act marketplace for health insurance opened Saturday. With an enhanced tax credit set to expire at the end of the year, Kansans face dramatically increased premiums.

Several organizations are helping people fill the gap — by hosting food distributions, offering bill credit and other measures.

The president of the union representing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) workers on Monday urged Congress to include health care protections in a bill to reopen the government as the shutdown approaches record length.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz said they want to address the issue considering higher rates of chronic disease in rural areas.

As we approach cold and flu season, the ongoing government shutdown could cause delays in disease tracking by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC dashboards track the outbreak of contagious illnesses like the flu,

Unless the tax credits are extended, Alaskans’ insurance premium rates through the federal marketplace could go up by hundreds or thousands of dollars each month.