Americans Face Steep 2026 Healthcare Premium Hikes as ACA Subsidies Expire

The **Congressional Budget Office (CBO)** is a nonpartisan federal agency established in 1974 by the Congressional Budget Act to support Congress in budget and economic policy matters. Its core mission is to provide objective, impartial, and professional economic and budgetary analysis to help lawmakers make informed decisions about fiscal policy. The CBO serves as an independent alternative to the executive branch’s Office of Management and Budget, ensuring Congress has its own reliable data and projections[1][2][3][7]. CBO’s primary responsibilities include producing formal cost estimates for nearly every bill approved by congressional committees and publishing key reports such as the annual *Budget and Economic Outlook*. This flagship report offers baseline budgetary and economic projections over a 10-year horizon, assuming current laws remain unchanged. The agency also conducts analyses of the economic impacts of proposed federal spending and tax policies, aiding Congress in understanding long-term fiscal effects and budget deficits[1][3][5]. Since its inception, the CBO has become a critical institution in the U.S. budget process, recognized for its rigorous methodology and nonpartisan stance. It employs experts in economics and public policy who draw on a wide range of data, forecasting models, and external expert advice to maintain accuracy and credibility. The agency has adapted to the digital age by enhancing its publication and digital media divisions to better communicate its findings to both legislators and the public[3]. Currently, the CBO continues to provide vital analysis amid complex economic conditions, such as assessing the federal deficit, tax revenue changes, and spending trends. It remains strictly neutral, never making policy recommendations, but offering transparent methodologies that underpin its analyses[5][7]. For stakeholders in business and technology news, the CBO’s work is essential for understanding how fiscal decisions may influence economic growth, innovation funding, and federal investment priorities.

**KFF** (formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation) is a leading independent non-profit organization dedicated to health policy research, polling, journalism, and analysis, serving as an unbiased source of facts for policymakers, media, and the public.[1][2][8] Founded in 1948 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser, KFF began as a family foundation with a $400 million endowment focused on grant-making.[1][2] In 1991, under CEO Drew Altman, it underwent a transformative overhaul, shifting from a "sleepy" grant-maker to an operating public charity with an annual budget exceeding $40 million, funded largely by its endowment.[1][2][3] Headquartered in San Francisco with a Washington, D.C. presence, it rebranded to KFF in recent years to clarify its independence from Kaiser Permanente.[1][7] KFF's core work spans **policy analysis**, tracking issues like Medicaid, Medicare, the uninsured, and vulnerable populations such as low-income individuals and those with chronic illnesses; **polling**, often partnering with outlets like The Washington Post; **journalism** via KFF Health News (formerly Kaiser Health News); and **social impact media**, including global HIV/AIDS campaigns and consumer tools like Affordable Care Act explainers and cost calculators.[1][2][3][9] Its website is lauded for up-to-date, accurate health policy data, making it essential reading for experts.[1] Key achievements include pivotal COVID-19 analysis in 2020, animated ACA videos since 2010, and high-impact public opinion research shaping U.S. and global health debates.[1][3] KFF supports initiatives like journalist training fellowships and UCSF medical student research programs, fostering informed discourse.[5][6] Today, led by Altman and a board featuring luminaries like former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Senator Olympia Snowe, KFF remains a powerhouse with over hal