Congress is barreling toward a critical deadline for extending the enhanced ObamaCare subsidies at the heart of the government shutdown, and it may already be too late to shield the public from sticker shock with open-enrollment window shopping underway.

If somehow there is a deal done ahead of Nov.1, which looks unlikely, states and the federal government may still have time to incorporate the enhanced subsidies into their prices. But Republicans have made it clear that there will need to be changes to the tax credits before they even entertain an extension.

And any policy changes will only increase the headaches for state-level ObamaCare administrators, said Jessica Altman, executive director of Covered California.

“I would strongly say if there's going to be a big policy conversation

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