BALTIMORE — A dispute over enhanced premium tax credits has shutdown the federal government for the past week, with Democrats pushing to maintain the credits while Republicans wanting a funding bill without them.

The enhanced tax credits, which began in 2021 during the pandemic, expanding both the size of existing credits and the income eligibility range for coverage assistance.

"It made the tax credits larger, so it made coverage more affordable for people that were already getting a tax credit, but it also extended the income range at which people were eligible," said Katherine Hempstead, senior policy fellow at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

To qualify for the credits, individuals must earn below 400% of the federal poverty line, approximately $120,000 or less for a family of fo

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