Telling the Senate to Work Across the Aisle on Health Care Affordability

Commentary by TaxFairness

Open enrollment on the Affordable Care Act Marketplace is underway. Millions of Americans are logging on to renew their health coverage and finding that the cost of their premiums has exploded since Congress has not extended the enhanced ACA premium tax credits that helped tens of millions of people afford their health insurance.

These credits have lowered what people paid each month based on income and opened access to coverage for middle-income households who were previously priced out. Since their introduction, enrollment in Marketplace plans has more than doubled, proving that when we invest in affordability, families get the coverage they need and our entire health system becomes stronger.

Now those enhanced credits are set to expire at the end of this year. Without them, millions will face painful premium hikes starting in 2026. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a worker earning about $28,000 a year could see their annual premium jump over $1,200 for the exact same coverage.

For older adults and small business owners, the costs will be even more punishing. Many will be forced to choose between paying for their health insurance and covering their other monthly bills. Across the country, rates are expected to more than double, and insurers warn that if healthy people drop their plans due to higher prices, premiums could continue climbing for everyone else. The result would be millions losing coverage and an unstable marketplace that punishes those who try to stay insured.

This crisis is completely avoidable. Congress has the power to fix it right now. Extending the enhanced ACA premium tax credits would protect millions of families from unaffordable rate increases and prevent a nationwide healthcare shock that could undo years of progress.

The question is not whether Congress can act. It is whether our elected leaders will listen to the people who sent them to Washington. This is not about politics or party. It is about the health and financial security of millions of Americans who depend on affordable coverage to survive.

Tell your Senators to work across the aisle and extend the enhanced ACA premium tax credits immediately, before millions of people become uninsured.

“Tell the Senate to Work Across the Aisle on Health Care Affordability Now,” Tax Fairness

“ACA Enrollees Can Expect Big Increases in Premium Payments,” Angry Bear