Democrats in Wisconsin say health care premium costs would increase if Affordable Care Act tax credits expire
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Weeks into the government shutdown, Democrat lawmakers in Wisconsin warn people who get insurance through the Affordable Care Act they could see a spike in their premiums next year.
On a Zoom panel, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore and U.S. Congressman Mark Pocan said people in the state would be priced out being able to afford healthcare coverage if the tax credits expired.
Known as the enhanced premium tax credit, the subsidy has been used by millions of low- and middle-class households since it was authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021. Since then, the number of people who have enrolled in ACA marketplace health insurance plans has almost doubled, according to health care publication Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). In Wisconsin, a record number of over 300 thousand people in the state get health care through this method.
“At a time when costs continue to go up and families and seniors are already struggling to make ends meet, we should be doing everything we can to make healthcare more affordable and accessible. But instead, Republicans in Congress are refusing to extend key support under the Affordable Care Act, which means some Wisconsinites will pay hundreds or thousands of dollars more every month and even tens of thousands of dollars more a year.” Evers said.
“There is still time to act and stop Wisconsinites from facing these dire cost increases. After 27 days, I’m still at the table ready to work with my colleagues to end this shutdown and protect millions of families who are already struggling to make ends meet,” Baldwin said.
“This is a crisis and Republicans need to come to the table,” Moore said. “It’s not just my constituents in Milwaukee County, but it’s Marjorie Taylor Green’s constituents in Georgia.”
On Monday, Evers made a visit to the Milwaukee Public Library Martin Luther King Branch to discuss the issue with local leaders and residents. Dan Jacobs, the co-owner of DanDan in Milwaukee, said employees at his restaurant would be impacted if rates went up.
“The loss of the subsidies for affordable health care is going to cripple small businesses that depend on employees who need health care because they’re going to have to find jobs where they can get that health care,” Jacobs said. ““This whole situation feels terrible.”
The cost of premiums for people who buy their insurance through the ACA marketplaces could more than double, rising from an average of $888 in 2025 to $1,904 in 2026, according to a Sept. 30 analysis by KFF.
President Donald Trump and GOP leaders say they’ll consider extending the enhanced tax credits that otherwise expire at year's end after Democrats after the government is reopened.
Open enrollment begins on Nov. 1. People will be able to see their premium rate increases here.