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How California is Preparing for a Health Insurance Crisis

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Covered California executive director Jessica Altman poses for a portrait at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Oct. 14, 2025, after an interview for Political Breakdown. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

The government shutdown has entered its third week, as Senate Democrats say they won’t vote to reopen it until Republicans agree to undo deep cuts to federal health care spending and extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. 

If these subsidies expire, health insurance costs could double and hundreds of thousands of Californians could be priced out of coverage, according to estimates by KFF, the nonpartisan health research organization.

Scott and Marisa talk to Jessica Altman, the executive director of Covered California, which is the agency that oversees the state’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

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