Across the country, Protect Our Care is holding GOP lawmakers’ feet to the fire after they passed multiple rounds of devastating cuts to working families’ health care last year. Since the devastating GOP premium health care premium hikes kicked in at the start of January, we’ve held eleven events across eight states to sound the alarm about Trump and Republicans’ war on health care. From Arizona to Virginia, Americans are sending the GOP a clear message: it’s time to end the health care cuts, bring down premiums, and start putting working people before the ultra-wealthy who’ve been fattening their wallets thanks to Republican billionaire tax cuts. For hard-working families fed up with the Trump Administration’s price hikes, the November midterms can’t come soon enough.
ARIZONA
EVENTS
Tuesday, January 20 – Health Care Roundtable with Honest Arizona and Health Care Advocates: Protect Our Care Arizona supported Honest Arizona’s health care roundtable in Tucson, where they launched a new health care ad and discussed the impact of Republican health care cuts to both Medicaid and the ACA for Arizonans. They held Republican representatives in Arizona like Juan Ciscomani accountable for repeatedly voting to take away health care and called on them to protect Arizonans. You can view photos from the event here.
Wednesday, January 14 – ACA Open Enrollment and Accountability Event with Senator Ruben Gallego: Senator Ruben Gallego, ACA storytellers Steve Gomez and Robert Hess, and former Biden Administration advisor Jessica Schubel joined Protect Our Care Arizona to hold Republicans in Congress accountable for doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling the premiums of over 370,000 Arizonans by ending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that keep coverage affordable for millions of hard-working families. Instead, Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans have prioritized giving more tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations at the expense of the well-being of Americans. “Republicans had every chance to work on a deal to extend the ACA tax credits, but they chose not to,” said Senator Gallego. “With open enrollment closing tomorrow, 24 million Americans will have to decide whether they will pay more than double for their health insurance premiums or go without health insurance altogether.”
PRESS
- KJZZ: As Costs Soar, About 70K Fewer Arizonans Sign Up for Obamacare
- Tucson Sentinel: Arizona ACA Health Insurance Enrollment Plummets as Premiums Soar Without Enhanced Subsidies
- Arizona Mirror: Arizona ACA Health Insurance Enrollment Plummets as Premiums Soar Without Enhanced Subsidies
- Univision: Senador Rubén Gallego Advierte de Crisis Médica en Arizona Por Expiración Créditos Del ACA
- AZ Central: Feds Shortchanged Arizona on Rural Health Dollars, Hobbs’ Office Says
- Arizona Mirror: Medicaid Cuts Backed by Juan Ciscomani Will Cost Southern Arizona Hospitals $110 M Every Year
- Copper Courier: These Arizonans Are Feeling the Squeeze as ACA Subsidies Disappear
CALIFORNIA
EVENTS
Tuesday, January 13 – ACA Open Enrollment and Accountability Event with U.S. Representatives Judy Chu and Jim Costa: US Reps Judy Chu and Jim Costa joined Protect Our Care California to hold Republicans in Congress accountable for doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling the premiums of over 1.7 million Californians by ending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that keep coverage affordable for millions of hard-working families. Instead, Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans have prioritized giving more tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations at the expense of the well-being of Americans. “Republicans have no plans to lower premiums, no plan to reduce our out of pocket costs, and no plan to protect people with preexisting conditions,” said Rep. Chu. “What they’ve done instead is deliver massive tax cuts to billionaires while forcing 22 million hard working Americans to pay thousands more just to keep the same health insurance. Here in California the consequences are devastating. More than 1.7 million Californians are being hit with massive premium increases.”
PRESS
- KNX News: Rep. Judy Chu Warns that the End of ACA Tax Credits Will Leave More Californians Uninsured
- KCRC: California Lawmakers Urge Restoration of ACA Tax Credits Amid Rising Healthcare Costs
- San Diego Union-Tribune: Providers Brace for Medi-Cal Cuts: ‘We May Not Be Able to Serve Everybody’
- San Jose Spotlight: Santa Clara County Nurses Say Furloughs Hinder Patient Care
- Alameda Post: Alameda Health System to Lay Off Almost 300 After Massive Medicaid Cuts
- Mercury News: Alameda County Hospital System Lays off Hundreds of Employees to Counter Federal Cuts
- The Business Journals: Alameda Health System Lays off Hundreds of Workers, Blames ‘Unprecedented’ Federal Cuts
- CBS: Medicaid Cuts Trigger Layoffs at East Bay Hospitals Serving Alameda County’s Most Vulnerable
- Lookout Santa Cruz: Watsonville Community Hospital Faces Shortage of ICU Nurses as It Continues to Struggle Financially
- San Francisco Chronicle: Covered California Policyholders Are Downgrading Their Plans as New Enrollees Plummet
- ABC 23 Bakersfield: Expiration of ACA Tax Credits Could Impact Nearly 2 Million Californians
- Los Angeles Business Journal: OpEd: Health Care Keeps Our Economy Alive
- Merced Focus: New Covered California Enrollments Dip Amid Tax-Credit Confusion, Cost Uncertainty
GEORGIA
EVENTS
Thursday, January 15 – ACA Open Enrollment and Accountability Event with Minority Whip Sam Park: Minority Whip Sam Park and impacted Georgians joined Protect Our Care Georgia to hold Republicans in Congress accountable for doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling the premiums of over 1,408,787 Georgians by ending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that keep coverage affordable for millions of hard-working families. Instead, Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans have prioritized giving more tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations at the expense of the well-being of Americans. “Georgians do not want chaos. They want affordable, reliable health care. Republicans created this crisis, and every day they delay action, they are choosing to make it worse” said Minority Whip Sam Park. “The House has already shown there is a solution: a clean, three-year extension of the ACA tax credits. Seventeen Republicans voted for it. Now the decision sits with Senate Republicans and John Thune. The question is whether they will finally stand with working Georgians or continue siding with billionaires.”
PRESS
- ANF-TV: ACA Credits Expire, Leading to Sharp Rise in Health Insurance Premiums
- WSB-TV: Higher Health Insurance Premiums Leave 1 Million Georgians With Hard Choices
- 11 Alive: Doctors Concerned Over Most Vulnerable With Healthcare Prices in Flux
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Skyrocketing Health Insurance Premiums Will Hit 1.5 Million Georgians Hard
- 13 WMAZ: Affordable Care Act Subsidy Lapse Leaves Millions Facing Potential Costly Coverage Choices
- FOX 5: Georgia Charities See Rise in Patients as ACA Premiums Jump: ‘People Are Struggling to Make Their Daily Bills’
- Atlanta News First: ACA Credits Expire, Leading to Sharp Rise in Health Insurance Premiums
IOWA
EVENTS
Thursday, January 15 – ACA Open Enrollment and Accountability Event with Iowa Storytellers and Advocates: Iowa Farmers Union President Aaron Lehman and Iowa storytellers joined Protect Our Care Iowa to hold Republicans in Congress accountable for doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling the premiums of over 100,000 Iowans by ending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that keep coverage affordable for millions of hard-working families. Instead, Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans have prioritized giving more tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations at the expense of the well-being of Americans. “As farmers we are being hit on all sides by rising costs,” Lehman said. “Input prices for growing our crops, the cost of land, and now huge increases on health insurance premiums. Major illness or injury has been a leading cause of farm bankruptcies and now many folks are expecting to lose health insurance.”
Wednesday, January 7 – Fairness for Iowa ePTC Event with Doctors and Storytellers: Protect Our Care Iowa supported a press call highlighting the real impacts of rising health care costs for Iowa families. “As a clinic, we have seen this threat coming for a long time and we have been trying to prepare for it,” said Dr. Cecilia Redmond-Norris. “I thought we had a little bit more time to figure out how to absorb the tremendous increase in patients we anticipate seeing, but yesterday we had a line out the door of our clinic. I’m disappointed in our representatives because they had plenty of time to work on a solution. If they didn’t like the extension of the tax credits, then they needed to have another plan in place before the tax credits expired.” You can watch the full event here.
PRESS
- WHO 13 Des Moines: Iowans Impacted by ACA Tax Credits Expiring, See Increase in Premiums
- KCRG: Southeastern Iowa Clinic Announces Closure, Another Reducing Services
- Ottumwa Courier: Mercyone Ottumwa Clinic to Close Feb. 27; Another Clinic Reduces Services
- KCRG: Who Will Be Impacted by ACA Tax Subsidies Expiring in the New Year?
- WHO 13: Iowans Impacted by ACA Tax Credits Expiring, See Increase in Premiums
- The Gazette: Opinion: I Did Everything Right. Health Care Still Doesn’t Add Up
MICHIGAN
PRESS
Wednesday, January 7 – Open Enrollment Event with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib: Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Detroit Councilwoman Mary Waters and Amber Bellazaire from the Michigan League for Public Policy joined Protect Our Care Michigan to hold Republicans in Congress accountable for doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling the premiums of more than 470,000 Michiganders by ending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that keep coverage affordable for millions of hardworking families. Instead, Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans have prioritized giving more tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations at the expense of the well-being of Americans. “On Jan. 1, Republicans ended the Affordable Care Act tax credits and raised premiums for millions of Americans. This comes after Trump’s Big Budget Betrayal cut Medicaid by nearly $1 trillion,” said Congresswoman Tlaib. “Trump found the money to bomb Venezuela, but refuses to fund health care for Americans, many of which are already sick and need help. I urge all Michiganders to hold President Trump and Republicans accountable for ripping away health care from millions of Americans and demand that they fix the mess they’ve made by restoring the extreme Medicaid cuts and joining us to extend the ACA tax credits.”
EVENTS
- Detroit News: How Michigan Lawmakers Voted on Restoration of Health Insurance Subsidies
- Michigan Advance: U.S. House Passes ACA Subsidy Extension as All Michigan Republicans Vote No
- WDIV: Rep. Rashida Tlaib Urges Fellow House Members to Support ACA Tax Credits
- WEMU: Michigan Democrats Call on Congress to Support 3-Year Extension of ACA Tax Credits
- WDET: Before House Vote on Tax Credits: Rep, Tlaib Say Michiganders Will Go Without Health Care
- Michigan Advance: Tlaib, on Lapsed ACA Credits, Says Congress Has Traded Health Care for ‘Sick Care’
- Here Detroit: Congresswoman Tlaib Advocates for Restoration of ACA Tax Credits
- Bridge Michigan: 40,000 Fewer Michiganders Seek Affordable Care Act Health Insurance
- Bridge Michigan: Michigan Nursing Homes Have Few Staff, Little Training. Misery Can Follow
- Michigan Public Radio: Fewer Michiganders Are Enrolling in Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Plans This Year
- ABC 13: ‘Who Can Afford This?’ | Local Woman Chooses to Go Uninsured After ACA Subsidies Expire
- Click on Detroit: Rising ACA Premiums Put Lifesaving Care Out of Reach for Michigan Patients
OHIO
PRESS
- Ohio Public Radio: One-Fifth of Ohioans With ACA Subsidies Dropping Health Insurance, Estimates Show
- Cleveland Plain Dealer: Fewer Ohioans Sign Up for Healthcare Coverage After ACA Subsidies Expire
- The Intelligencer: East Ohio Regional Hospital Closes Doors Again in Martins Ferry
- Ohio Capital Journal: Federal Funds for Rural Health on the Way to Ohio, but Not Enough to Offset Cuts, Advocates Say
- Dayton Daily News: Area People Brace for Loss of Health Care Government Subsidies in the Marketplace
- WLWT 5: How Much Are ACA Premiums Set to Go Up in Ohio, Kentucky, & Indiana in 2026? See the Numbers Here
- NBC 4 I: Over 500,000 Ohioans Brace for Health Insurance Spikes
- WFMJ: COVID-19 Era Subsidies on Affordable Care Act End, Monthly Premiums Increase for Millions
PENNSYLVANIA
EVENTS
Thursday, January 22 – Open Enrollment Event with Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys, Pennie, and Health Care Advocates: Protect Our Care Pennsylvania provided press support for Pennie’ final Open Enrollment reminder event alongside Pennsylvania’s Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys, Pennie Executive Director Devon Trolley, and health care advocates. Time is running out to enroll in health coverage through Pennie for 2026. The Open Enrollment Period will close on January 31st, marking the final opportunity for Pennsylvanians to sign up for health insurance for the year ahead. Due to federal changes causing higher health plan costs, Pennie extended the Open Enrollment deadline to January 31st ensuring Pennsylvanians have additional time to review their options and secure coverage. “Open Enrollment is the one opportunity each year for Pennsylvanians to compare and enroll in health coverage that meets their needs,” said Devon Trolley, Pennie Executive Director. “Due to federal changes, costs are increasing but many Pennsylvanians still qualify for financial savings, and this is the final time to act. Enrolling by the deadline helps protect both your health in 2026 and your financial security in the event of an unexpected medical situation.” You can watch the event here.
Thursday, January 22 – Health Care Accountability and Open Enrollment Event with Health Care Providers, Unions, and Advocates: Protect Our Care Pennsylvania joined the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) and 10 partner organizations to host a community forum to Save Our Healthcare, addressing the real and immediate consequences of expiring ACA tax credits and looming cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.
PRESS
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Warren County’s Only Hospital Maternity Unit Prepares to Close
- Penn Live: ‘Devastated’: Thousands of Employees Were Laid off From Pa. Hospitals, Offices, More
- Erie News Now: Staffing Shortage Prompts Closure of Maternity Unit at Warren General
- Observer: Region’s Maternity Care Losses Mirror U.S. Trend
- Nurse.org: Nurses Sound Alarm as Tower Health Cuts 350 Jobs, Closes Entire Units
- Pennsylvania Independent: Maternal Health Care Deserts Are Spreading in Rural Pennsylvania
- FOX 56: ACA Enrollment Down by Over a Million, Deadline to Apply Passes for Most of the Country
- Philadelphia Inquirer: 70,000 Pennie Customers Have Dropped Their Plans as Price Hikes Loom for Health Insurance
- WFMZ: ‘Almost a 170% Increase’: Residents Struggle as ACA Subsidies Vanish on Pennie Marketplace
- Penn Live: ACA Insurance Costs Force Some in Pa. To Take Extreme Measures — Like Remarrying
- WNEP 16: Affordable Care Act Tax Subsidy Expiration Could Raise Insurance Premiums by 280% in Some Counties
- Pennsylvania Independent: ACA Credits Expire, Driving Up Health Insurance Costs in Pennsylvania
- FOX 43: Pennie Premiums Double in 2026 as Tax Credits Officially Expire
VIRGINIA
EVENTS
Thursday, January 15 – Open Enrollment Event with Former Congressman Tom Perriello and Health Care Advocates: Former Congressman Tom Perriello joined Protect Our Care Virginia to hold MAGA Republicans in Congress accountable for doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling the premiums of more than 300,000 Virginians by ending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that keep coverage affordable for millions of hard-working families. “In addition to what John McGuire and this Congress are taking out of the pockets of the middle class, they’re also taking something that you cannot put a price tag on, which is time with your kids,” said Former Congressman Perriello. “People are working a second job in order to pay for health care costs, instead of getting that time with their families. We talk about small business owners who are having to put in those extra hours. That’s time they’ll never get back with their daughters. And that’s something that I just don’t understand. How a politician elected to represent a group of people would then go to Washington and kick those people to the curb so that they can give another tax credit to Elon Musk and Peter Thiel?”
PRESS
- CBS 19: Area Advocates Urge Congress to Extend ACA Subsidies
- 29 News: Health Care Advocates Raise Concerns as ACA Open Enrollment Nears Its End
- Cville Right Now: Perriello on ACA Tax Credits: ‘We Need to See Some Republican Courage’
- DC News Now: Health Care Battle Continues on the Hill
- WAVY: Thousands of Virginians Face Tough Decision After ACA Tax Credits Expire
- WFIR: ACA Tax Credits Expiration Threatens Thousands of Virginians Healthcare Access
- Virginia News Connection: Premiums Set to Go Up for Thousands of Virginians
- Virginia Independent: Health Insurance Premiums Set to Go Up for Thousands of Virginians
- Virginia Mercury: Commentary: Republican Voters in Virginia Will Blame Their Party for Health Insurance Increases
- Virginian-Pilot: Editorial: Congressional Irresponsibility Brings Higher Health Costs to Virginia
- Cville Right Now: Mike Barber One on One with Tom Perriello
WISCONSIN
EVENTS
Wednesday, January 21 – Senate ePTC Accountability Event with Congressman Mark Pocan and Health Care Advocates: U.S. Representative Mark Pocan and Wisconsin small business owner Kyle LaFond joined Protect Our Care Wisconsin and Main Street Alliance to hold Republicans in Congress accountable for doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling the premiums of thousands of Wisconsinites by ending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that keep coverage affordable for millions of hard-working families. “We need to put pressure on the Senate to pass it cleanly, just like we did in the House, a three year extension. It’s the right thing to do,” said Congressman Pocan. “Look, in ten years of Donald Trump’s promises, the best we’ve gotten is concepts of a health care plan. Last week we got one page. Literally one side of a page of paper with more concepts and no concrete plans about how to address health care. We need to keep the Affordable Care Act in place, and the only way to keep it in place and affordable for small business owners and others is by having those tax credits.” You can watch the event here.
PRESS
- Wisconsin Public Radio: Fewer Wisconsinites Enroll in ACA Marketplace as Health Care Premiums Skyrocket
- Wisconsin Independent: Wisconsin Families Watch Coverage Costs Spike as ACA Tax Credits Expire
- FOX 11 News: Wisconsinites see their health care costs spike after expiration of premium tax credits
- WISN 12: Milwaukee Health Center Anticipates Rise in Uninsured as ACA Subsidies End
- NBC 26: “Huge Financial Hit”- Affordable Care Act Enrollees Worry About New Health Insurance Premiums
- Wisconsin Independent: Wisconsinites Press Congress Over Unaffordable Health Insurance