1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I’m writing as a small business owner to demand you pass ACA subsidy extensions before the Christmas break. My spouse and I are two relatively healthy men in our 40s. We don’t qualify for subsidies. Our premiums just jumped 12% from $1,300 to over $1,500 per month for 2026. That’s $18,000 a year just in premiums. Our deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums are doubling to $20,000 before insurance actually covers anything. We’re talking about nearly $40,000 in potential healthcare costs before we see a dime of benefit. This is unsustainable for working families trying to save for retirement, pay mortgages and more. When premiums eat this much of our budget, it forces impossible choices that hurt the entire economy. Ezra McKay is 26 years old and works part-time at a bookstore. He has bipolar disorder and his insurance covers the medication that keeps him stable enough to work and function. Without subsidies, his premium goes from $15 to $550 per month, nearly half his income. He told NPR that losing coverage would put him “in an extremely bad situation of having difficulty maintaining my job, maintaining my house, maybe even having a life-threatening situation if I were to have a mental health crisis.” When someone can’t afford the medication that keeps them alive and productive, they end up in emergency rooms costing taxpayers far more than preventing the crisis would have cost. This affects 22 million Americans who depend on subsidies that expire at the end of this year. Insurers raised rates an average of 26% because they’re betting healthy people will drop coverage when subsidies end, leaving only sicker, more expensive patients in the pool. That drives costs up for everyone, including people like us who don’t get subsidies. The Congressional Budget Office estimates extending subsidies costs $350 billion over 10 years. Not extending them costs jobs, destabilizes the individual insurance market, and leaves millions uninsured who will end up using emergency care we all pay for anyway. I’m calling on you to pass subsidy extensions before leaving for Christmas recess. Open enrollment is happening now. People are making decisions with no idea what their actual costs will be. That’s not how a functional healthcare system operates. Pass this legislation before December 25th or explain to your constituents why their premiums doubled while you went home for the holidays.