** Shares of U.S. health insurers gain premarket after Politico and others report that the government plans to propose Affordable Care Act $(ACA)$ subsidy extension

** Shares of Centene up 9.7%, Elevance up 3.5%, Molina Healthcare rise 5.4%, UnitedHealth up 2.4%, Humana up 3%

** Politico said on Monday the White House is preparing to unveil a health-policy framework that would extend ACA, also known as Obamacare, premium subsidies for two years and add new eligibility limits

** Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate struck a deal to end the 40-day federal shutdown without extending ACA subsidies, which are due to expire at the end of the year, setting up a December vote on the issue instead

** The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment

** Up to last close, ELV down ~13%, UNH down ~37%, CNC down ~40%, HUM down ~11%

(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru)

((Mariam.ESunny@thomsonreuters.com;))