Families across the country are being slammed by skyrocketing premiums after Donald Trump and congressional Republicans ripped away tax credits, all to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. A mother from Vermont who has lost sleep while trying to fit in all the preventative care she can before December 31 because her family can no longer afford their health insurance premiums. A Missouri woman diagnosed with jaw cancer is debating going uninsured for six months until she’s eligible for Medicare despite visits to her oncologist being “non-negotiable.” A Massachusetts math teacher is hoping last year’s coats will still fit her children and her shoes don’t fall apart, because she will have to pay more for health insurance on an already tight budget. These are the stories of the people behind the statistics — the Americans now paying the price for the GOP’s health care agenda.
Americans deserve to know exactly who is being screwed over by Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress, and Protect Our Care will continue to tell their stories. The following 27 haunting accounts — along with the 110 other testimonies we have collected in recent weeks — highlight Americans the GOP put on the chopping block to fund tax breaks for their billionaire friends.
Lori Hunt, Des Moines, Iowa
- “Lori Hunt, a breast cancer survivor in Iowa recently laid off from her administrative job at a non-profit, faces a $650 US increase in her monthly payment to keep her existing policy. ‘That’s just about as much as my mortgage,’ Hunt said in an interview from her home in Des Moines. ‘Right now, that is not in my budget. That is not anything I can afford.’”
- “Hunt says her only options are to switch to a plan with less coverage or higher deductibles, or to go without health insurance until she finds a job that provides it. ‘It’s just a gamble and I hate it,’ she said. ‘I’d have to just kind of hope for the best.’” [CBC]
Dawn Wheeler, 59, Edwardsville, Kansas
- “Dawn Wheeler followed every twist and turn of the government shutdown. In some ways, she said, she felt as if her life were on the line.”
- “For Wheeler, who has metastatic breast cancer, Congress’ ultimate decision will mean the difference of tens of thousands of dollars. […] She can’t afford to lose coverage. One of her chemotherapy drugs costs $20,000 a month, she said, and she typically hits her out-of-pocket maximum by the end of January each year.”
- “‘We are real people with real lives and real families,’ Wheeler said. ‘Our mortgage is also going up because of property taxes. Our utilities are going to be going up. Groceries have gone up. Everything across the board, the cost of living has gone up. I don’t know what we’re going to do.’” [USA Today]
Carin Lenk Sloane, Davis, California
- “‘And now my husband and I are both talking about leaving the U.S. to go to a country where we are not being forced into debt just so that we can have basic health care,’ she said.”
- “Another option that Slone is considering is forgoing coverage all together — a once unthinkable step for someone who calls herself cautious and practical. But she worries about her husband, who loves cycling and water sports. ‘He does dangerous things,’ she said. ‘And I’m like, if we don’t have health insurance, you’re gonna have to really curtail your activities that keep you happy and keep you healthy.’” [KQED]
Miller, California
- “Miller has long pieced together a living through voiceover work and script adaptation, but said artificial intelligence has gutted that corner of the entertainment industry. Out of desperation, Miller applied for a job as a mail carrier with the post office — not for the salary, but for the health benefits, mostly for their husband, who lives with a chronic autoimmune disease.”
- “‘There’s so much joy that’s been sucked out of our lives because we’ve needed to pay for health care,’ Miller said.” [KQED]
John Zeising, Chaffee County, Colorado
- “The Chaffee County resident weighed whether to drop coverage completely, but his chronic condition means going without insurance isn’t a viable option for him. Instead, Zeising will likely opt for a plan that delivers less coverage in exchange for a lower premium, but the trade-off also means he will have fewer care options and may even have to forgo treatments. ‘I’m going to have to make tough choices, and I think a lot of people are in a similar boat as me,’ Zeising said.” [Aspen Times]
Martine Locke, 55, Irvington, Indiana
- “The 55-year-old real estate agent from Irvington doesn’t want to lose her coverage. She and her wife have been paying about $670 each month for a plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace. The option, created under the Affordable Care Act — also known as Obamacare — covers people who are self-employed or aren’t offered insurance through their jobs. But now, the couple has been priced out: their new premium will be $1,500 or more. ‘I’m in shock,’ Locke told Mirror Indy. ‘We want to pay for the policy, but it’s impossible to afford.’”
- “‘We look after ourselves well, but you just never know,’ Locke said. ‘The thought of medical debt wiping out everything we’ve worked for is terrifying.’” [Mirror Indy]
Lynae Axelson, Montana
- “But when Axelson went to select coverage for next year, she was surprised to discover the monthly cost of a comparable plan had ballooned to nearly $2,200. ‘I like to think positive and hope for the best, but our economy is so fragile. There are so many moving pieces,’ Axelson said. ‘I want to be cautious moving forward, and $2,000 for health insurance just isn’t something I can justify.’
- “Her family is healthy with no pre-existing conditions, but the memory of Axelson’s mom’s first breast cancer diagnosis at 39-years-old looms large as she considers reducing her coverage. ‘There’s part of me that knows how quickly something can turn and how health care costs with something like a cancer diagnosis can bankrupt you,’ Axelson said. ‘‘What if?’ is always in the back of my mind.’” [Eastern Progress]
Jon Wick, Butte, Montana
- “Downgrading coverage isn’t a feasible option, he explained, because, as a result of his cancer, he requires a permanent colostomy bag that must be replaced every few days. That alone might run him $3,600 a year in out-of-pocket costs. ‘I’m used to wading through this quagmire,’ Wick said. ‘This just feels like such an unnecessary addition to what we already have to deal with. The last thing I want to have to do is close my business or be unable to afford to go to the doctor if something happens to me out of my control again.’” [Eastern Progress]
Jackie Atherly, 63, Grantham, New Hampshire
- “‘I feel let down,’ she said at Wednesday’s protest.”
- “Atherly, who is currently on the lowest tier of plans, bronze, has been paying $469 per month in premiums, she said. Next year, she expects to pay $827 per month. ‘I feel disappointed that I have to tap into my savings to pay for my health care,’ she said. ‘It kind of seems like our federal government is taking away something that we greatly need.’” [V News]
Amy Franklin, 44, Plainfield, New Hampshire
- “She has a seizure disorder that requires constant medication and a yearly neurologist visit, placing her in New Hampshire’s ‘high-risk pool.’ ‘Without health insurance, (the condition requires) for sure a cost that, you know, has an impact on my household income,’ Franklin said.”
- “While she hasn’t checked to see exactly what her premiums will be without the enhanced subsidies, Franklin is worried that she won’t be able to afford the increase. Depending on the cost, she will either have to turn to the private market or be left uninsured.” [V News]
Arica Bronz, Winooski, Vermont
- “‘We can’t take out a second mortgage on our house to afford one year of health insurance,’ said Arica Bronz, a pilates instructor from Winooski, where she lives with her husband, a self-employed primary care physician, and their two daughters.”
- “Bronz feels she has no choice. She is going to cancel health care coverage for her family. ‘We’re trying to get all the scans done and just make sure we’re tip-top healthy before we make the leap. I can’t tell you how much sleep I’ve lost considering what it’s like to jump in this day and age to no health care for a family.’” [VT Digger]
Dawn Lass, Stevens Point, Wisconsin
- “Dawn Lass, a former teacher from Stevens Point, said her family’s monthly premium will jump from $500 with a $14,400 deductible to $2,475 with a $20,000 deductible if the credits aren’t extended. ‘I don’t know what we’re going to do,’ Lass said. ‘We had no idea this was coming, and so we’re just finagling, trying to find ways to make sure that we’re going to be able to afford this.’” [WSAW]
Julia Jiannacopoulos, Coloma, Wisconsin
- “Julia Jiannacopoulos from Coloma recently lost her husband and had to look for coverage for herself and her 14-year-old daughter through the ACA. The tax credit kept her modest coverage at about 20% of her income, but next year’s rate more than doubled. She is considering a catastrophic plan and paying for most care out of pocket. Forgoing care is not an option. ‘My kid has already lost one parent, and I’m going to be around as long as I can, so I’m taking really good care of myself,’ Jiannacopoulos said.” [WSAW]
Elizabeth Aranow, Wyoming
- “‘We haven’t purchased a plan yet, because I’m reeling from sticker shock,’ Aranow said. The Lander residents could buy a cheaper marketplace plan, but at $1,800 a month, the least expensive plan available still more than doubles their costs while offering less coverage. The situation has spurred them to consider major life changes, like applying for new jobs with benefits or going without insurance. But ‘to me, not having insurance is not an option,’ she said.” [WyoFile]
Roberta Ross-Fisher, 64, Franklin County, Missouri
- “She took time off work and underwent surgery to remove the cancer and reconstruct her mandible with bone from her fibula. Now in remission, she gets CT scans and sees her oncologist every few months. ‘That’s non-negotiable, whether I have insurance or whether I don’t,’ Ross-Fisher said.”
- “‘I’ve been having conversations with my husband,’ she said. ‘What do I do? I’m now a cancer patient. Do I risk going for six months without insurance?’”
- “For Ross-Fisher, the nearness of her 65th birthday in 2026 makes it tempting to drop coverage. And before her cancer, she said, she would have chanced those six months. Now she’s leaning toward seeking full-time work. ‘That would mean the end of my consulting business, which I dearly love,’ she wrote in an email, ‘but under the circumstances I think it would be the most financially prudent thing to do.’” [Springfield News-Leader]
Kara Pitt-D’Andrea, Wisconsin
- “‘There’s going to be people who are devastated, impacted at a devastating level,’ said Pitt-D’Andrea.”
- “‘We know we can do the tax credits. We’ve done them. They offer a stronger, better community. And across Wisconsin, families are going to be devastated,’ said Pitt-D’Andrea. ‘We’re simply asking not to be put into financial ruin and medical bankruptcy or any type. That is the conversation. Isn’t there a solution in there, compassionate that focuses on the compassion towards your neighbor and also the capitalist spirit?’” [Fox6]
Mary Link, 51, Windham, Maine
- “Without [the tax credits], the Windham couple’s monthly health insurance bill, for the same plan, would more than double next year. ‘There’s a lot of freedom, working for yourself. I’ve enjoyed this contracting work so much. It’s what I want to do and it’s what makes me happy now. Should I think about going back to a corporate job just for the medical insurance?’ Link said. ‘I shouldn’t have to determine my career based on health insurance.’” [CentralMaine.com]
Julian Palombi, Cleveland, Ohio
- “‘The whole process of trying to find health insurance through the marketplaces is making me feel very nervous,’ said Palombi.”
- “‘To the point where I’m just starting to give up,’ said Palombi. ‘I’m looking at all but if anything happened to me, I hope nothing happens but just kind of taking a chance if I don’t get it,’ said Palombi.” [Spectrum News 1]
Dinam Bigny, 52, Aldie, Virginia
- “Fifty-two-year-old Dinam Bigny sank into debt and had to get a roommate this year, in part because of health insurance premiums that cost him nearly $900 per month. Next year, those monthly fees will rise by $200 — a significant enough increase that the program manager in Aldie, Virginia, has resigned himself to finding cheaper coverage. ‘I won’t be able to pay it, because I really drained out any savings that I have right now,’ he said. ‘Emergency fund is still draining out — that’s the scary part.’” [AP News]
Larry Griffin, 56, Paso Robles, California
- “He’s concerned the increases will affect his ability to save money for his upcoming retirement, but with the recent amputation of his left leg below the knee, as well as other health issues, he said he can’t risk going off health insurance or downgrading his plan.”
- “‘I’m not going to say that I can’t manage it, I can, but it’s just another one of those things,’ he said. ‘Here’s, you know, knock number 5,000 against me after all of the other things I’ve had to deal with.’” [AP News]
Patricia Roberts, 52, Auburn, Alabama
- “Patricia Roberts, 52, a full-time caregiver for her daughter in Auburn, Alabama, received a notice saying her monthly health insurance premiums would rise from around $800 a month to $1,100 a month next year — but she was later notified the monthly cost would actually be more than $1,400, prompting her to look for a downgraded plan. […] ‘I don’t know how people are going to live, with it already being a struggle just to pay for food and all the other things,’ Roberts said.” [AP News]
Megan Sass
- “Comedian Megan Sass has been struggling to get their health insurer to cover intravenous immunoglobulin for more than a year. The treatment, which addresses a genetic antibody deficiency, requires antibodies from blood donors. Without insurance, it’s unaffordable. And with the looming expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies, Sass’ insurance will soon cost $1,300 a month. ‘I am not at a place where I’m been able to joke about this,’ they said.” [Mother Jones]
Amanda McGuire, New Hampshire
- “McGuire doesn’t qualify for ACA subsidies, though she expects to have to buy a marketplace plan next year as her disabilities, including multiple sclerosis, increasingly compel her to reduce her working hours. McGuire’s therapy practice focuses on patients with chronic illnesses and disabilities, and she’s even more afraid of what the future holds for them. ‘A lot of them can’t even look at the options in the marketplace right now, because they know they’re going to be priced out of policies,’ McGuire told me. ‘As someone with chronic illness, you can’t just go without insurance.’” [Mother Jones]
Rachel Rosekind, 49, El Cerrito, California
- “‘I have a knot in my stomach every single day,’ said Rachel Rosekind, 49, an El Cerrito mother whose monthly premium will go from $0 to $2,500 a month for her family of four. […] However, when she went to re-enroll this year, she discovered that they’re now facing a daunting monthly payment. ‘We could not afford $30,000 a year in insurance without going into medical debt,’ Rosekind said.”
- “She and her family are rushing to finish all of their preventative care under their existing plan by the end of the year. She got a mammogram last month and booked well visits for her children in December. […] The rising premiums have ‘motivated me to get everything that I can done by the end of the year because it is such a big question mark around what we’re going to do,’ Rosekind said.” [Berkeleyside]
Elizabeth and John, Hudson Valley, New York
- “‘I don’t like what’s going on in Washington, holding our health care hostage,’ said Elizabeth, who, along with her husband, asked to be identified by their middle names to protect their privacy. ‘Small businesses rely on the affordability of insurance to keep going.’”
- “Elizabeth and John have always considered health insurance essential. Elizabeth has autoimmune and blood disorders that need regular monitoring and is at high risk for cancer. […] ‘We’ll cross the bridge when we come to it,’ she said with a sigh when asked how she would manage. ‘That’s all you can do.’” [NYS Focus]
Tamara Modig, Fitchburg, Massachusetts
- “Modig knows it’s almost certainly going to rise next year, though she won’t learn how much until spring. Already, her out-of-pocket maximum this past year increased by $1,000, to $4,000. The family doesn’t take vacations, drives only used cars, and lives on a strict budget — which is about to get even stricter. ‘You wonder if you can make that pair of shoes last longer,’ Modig said. ‘Does last year’s coat still fit the kids?’” [Boston Globe]
Joe D’Eramo, 61, Millis, Massachusetts
- “D’Eramo, who lives in Millis, was recently diagnosed with diabetes. He is counting down the years until he qualifies for Medicare, the government insurer that generally serves people 65 and older, so that he can save more money. ‘I just want to be able to make it to that [while still] healthy,’ he said.” [Boston Globe]