1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

The enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies are set to expire at the end of this year, and the House Republican health care bill being voted on this week does nothing to address this crisis. Without action, I and millions of other Americans will face devastating premium increases and potential loss of coverage. If these subsidies lapse, annual premium payments will increase by 114% on average in 2026, roughly $1,000 more per year according to KFF. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that approximately 2 million more people would become uninsured next year. These are not abstract numbers. These are constituents who will be forced to choose between health coverage and other basic necessities. The provisions in the House GOP bill would not help people like me afford coverage. Association health plans favor healthier consumers and lack the robust coverage protections of ACA plans, while allowing insurers to charge older enrollees significantly more. Restoring cost-sharing subsidy funding sounds positive but would actually slash the aid enrollees receive for coverage, effectively raising monthly payments. According to Loren Adler of the Brookings Institution, those with moderate incomes would see big premium increases, with very few winners from this policy. The CBO estimated that 300,000 more people would be uninsured in 2034 under a similar measure. I urge you to support extending the enhanced ACA subsidies immediately. The deadline for full-year 2026 coverage has already passed in most states, and open enrollment ends January 15. People are making coverage decisions right now without knowing what assistance they will receive. This uncertainty is unacceptable. If extending subsidies is not politically feasible, then I ask you to consider supporting a transition to a single-payer system that would eliminate this constant cycle of coverage uncertainty and ensure all Americans have access to affordable health care. Our health should not be subject to political gamesmanship.