1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support legislation extending the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax subsidies before they expire on January 1. The Senate's recent 51-48 vote fell short of the 60-vote threshold needed to extend these critical credits for three years, despite bipartisan support from Senators Susan Collins, Josh Hawley, Lisa Murkowski, and Dan Sullivan joining Democrats. Without immediate action before lawmakers leave for the holidays, millions of Americans will face dramatic health care cost increases. These enhanced credits currently benefit over 22 million people, reducing premium payments by an average of $705 per year. The impact on older adults not yet eligible for Medicare is particularly severe. The assistance has enabled millions of adults ages 50-64 to buy coverage, resulting in a 50% reduction in the uninsured rate for this age group. If the credits lapse, 92% of the 5.2 million adults ages 50-64 with Marketplace coverage would face significantly higher costs, with premiums potentially rising 75% on average and up to 90% in rural areas. Older marketplace enrollees already pay higher premiums under the ACA because insurers can charge people in their 50s and 60s more than younger adults for the same plan. Allowing these subsidies to expire would compound this burden at a time when these individuals are most vulnerable to health issues and least able to absorb major cost increases. The consequences extend beyond immediate coverage loss. Over 4 million people across all age groups would become uninsured, leading to reduced access to care and worse health outcomes. This will ultimately increase Medicare costs as people enter the program in poorer health requiring more expensive interventions. I urge you to work across the aisle to extend these enhanced credits immediately and allow adequate time for enrollment and coverage changes. The bipartisan support demonstrated in the recent vote shows this is achievable with commitment to finding common ground.