1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

For those who follow healthcare policy closely, it’s been obvious for quite a while that health insurance premiums were poised to soar, especially as Republicans allow Covid-era subsidies to expire. The problem, however, has been on the horizon for a long time. That’s no longer the case; the problem is here. Many Americans are now confronting the severity of increased costs, with millions of families facing payments that will double or even triple in 2026. The conditions have left GOP officials with limited options about how best to respond to the problem. Much of the party has effectively settled on the position of “this doesn’t really matter.” Complicating matters, however, is the frequency with which other Republicans are also responding to the conditions with shrugged shoulders. House Speaker Mike Johnson, for example, last week derided the “so-called forthcoming healthcare crisis.” The Republican answer to this problem is to downplay the importance of the problem. That seems politically untenable, but for now, GOP officials don’t appear to have an alternative. This problem of your own making is hurting Americans in so many ways.