Headlines from National Outlets and 19 States
The Trump Administration has shown the American people time and again that it writes health care policy based on the desires of donor billionaires and big corporations, not the needs of working families. From Alaska to West Virginia, everyday Americans are straining under the weight of doubling, tripling, and quadrupling health insurance premiums because Trump and the GOP put tax cuts for billionaires before Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that kept health care affordable for millions. As a result, a West Virginia woman’s insurance premium just jumped by over 300 percent. A Louisiana farmer and his wife have to give up their coverage or face crippling debt. A Texas retiree is cutting his budget down to bare bones to afford his premium until he qualifies for Medicare. The endless barrage of headlines show that voters’ righteous anger over the Republican war on health care is reaching a fever pitch. Unless Trump and the GOP start putting health care for working people before tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations, they will face a midterm reckoning of epic proportions.
Recent National Coverage
Wall Street Journal: Health Insurance Is Now More Expensive Than the Mortgage for These Americans
FOX News: ‘Punch in the Gut’: West Virginia Woman Tells Congress Her Obamacare Premium Jumped 323%
NBC News: Many Obamacare Enrollees Have Switched to Cheaper Bronze Plans. Here’s Why That Could Be Risky.
The Boston Globe: ‘A Life‑or‑Death Issue’: Obamacare Premiums Are Skyrocketing New England Is Feeling the Crunch
New York Times: Opinion: We Asked 300 People About Health Care Costs. The Numbers Are Shocking.
Pluribus News: States See Rising Uninsured Rates Shift To Cheaper ACA Plans
KFF Health News: Farmers Health Insurance Costs ACA Obamacare Subsidies
NBC News: Health Insurance CEOs to Appear Before House Committees as Premiums Soar
CNBC: As Federal ACA Subsidies Lapse, Blue States Offer Their Own
CBS News: Some States Expand ACA Subsidies as Federal Tax Credits Lapse
The Guardian: US Health Insurance Executives Testify Before Congress About Increasing Costs of Healthcare
Washington Post: Frustration Over U.S. Health Costs Erupts at Congressional Hearing
Investopedia: How Much the Average American Spends Annually on Health Care at Ages 45-54
HR Dive: Small Business Health Insurance Coverage at Risk as Costs Rise, EBRI Finds
Alaska
Anchorage Daily News: Letter: Begich Is Out of Touch on the Affordability Struggles of Alaska Families
Arkansas
Fort Smith Southwest Times Record: Arkansas Hospitals Could Feel Ripple Effects of ACA Subsidy Lapse
Colorado
Grand Junction Sentinel: Local ACA Insurance Sees Surge In Cancellations, Continued Enrollment Decline
Colorado Times Recorder: Evans Caps His Evolving Reasons for Opposing ACA Tax Credits by Calling Them a ‘Failure’
University of Colorado: New Research Reveals Affordable Care Act Insurance Plans Are Unaffordable for Most People
Colorado Politics: ACA Enrollment in Colorado Sees Slight Dip Amid Rising Costs
Florida
Axios Tampa Bay: Florida’s ACA Enrollment Drops After Loss Of Subsidies
Georgia
Public News Service: Rising Health Insurance Costs Push Georgians Out Of Coverage
Illinois
Chicago Business: Chicagoans Make Hard Choices: Pay Medical Bills or Cut Back on Spending
Maryland
Maryland Matters: Health Care Insurance Is Up, but Rising Costs Drive Thousands to Select Cheaper Plans
Michigan
InsuranceNewsNet: GOP Health Care Crisis Fewer Michiganders Are Enrolling In Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Plans This Year
Missouri
Webster-Kirkwood Times: Opinion: Why Is Wagner Against Affordable Health Care?
New Jersey
CBS New York: Thousands Of New Jersey Residents Impacted By Losing Enhanced Affordable Care Act Tax Credits
Minnesota
KARE 11: HCMC Lays off 100 Employees as Its Financial Crisis Deepens
North Carolina
North Carolina Health News: Farmers Now Owe A Lot More For Health Insurance
Ohio
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 Columbus Dispatch: Ohio ACA Enrollment Drops As Health Premiums Rise
Ohio Capital Journal: After Health Subsidies Expire, Marketplace Enrollment Takes A Big Dip In Ohio
Pennsylvania
Penn Live: Opinion: Higher Healthcare Costs Are Hurting Pennsylvanians
Texas
KUT News: Texans Are Tightening Their Budgets to Pay for Health Insurance After Subsidies Expired
Spectrum News 1: Young Americans Struggle With Health Insurance After ACA Changes
KBTX 3: Texas ACA Health Insurance Enrollment Hits a Record High Despite Expired Subsidies and Soaring Premiums
Washington
Kitsap Sun: Washington Residents Questioning Insurance After State Rates Skyrocket
Seattle Times: In WA, Thousands Are Forgoing Health Insurance This Year. Here’s Why
Vermont
NBC 5: Rising Health Care Costs Strain Vermont Families as Lawmakers Search for Solutions
WCAX: Sanders to Hold Town Meeting on Vermont Health Care Costs
West Virginia
Charleston Gazette-Mail: ‘Can’t Afford 200%, 300% Increases’: WV Obamacare Enrollments Drop As Premiums Spike
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Public Radio: ‘Paid for by All of Us’: Trump’s Second Term Set to Increase Health Costs, Uncompensated Care
Herald Times Reporter: Letter: Shifting ACA Subsidies to Consumers Risks a Health Insurance Death Spiral