Mass. governor warns expiring premium tax credits could strip coverage from nearly 400,000 residents; Health Connector urges enrollment by Dec. 23
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Summary
Governor Healy urged Congress to extend enhanced premium tax credits set to expire this month, saying nearly 400,000 Massachusetts residents could lose coverage; Health Connector director Audrey Morse Gasteyer outlined enrollment tools, a Dec. 23 deadline and early signs of coverage terminations.
Governor Healy said Wednesday that the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits will put nearly 400,000 Massachusetts residents at risk of losing Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage and urged federal lawmakers to vote to extend the subsidies before the enrollment deadline.
"People are losing care, and it's putting at risk access to care and services that people need," Healy said, blaming recent congressional action and steps by President Trump that he said removed "1000000000000 dollars in health care" and have driven premiums higher nationwide.
The warning comes as the Massachusetts Health Connector approaches its Dec. 23 deadline for enrollment that will take effect Jan. 1. Audrey Morse Gasteyer, executive director of the Health Connector, told the briefing that the enhanced premium tax credits help about 22,000,000 Americans and "over 330,000" people in Massachusetts who buy coverage through the Connector. She said the Connector's call center and navigator sites are handling heavy demand and that in the first month of open enrollment the agency "we've seen over 10,000 people terminate their coverage for 2026," roughly double the number at the same point last year.
Gasteyer urged residents to use the Health Connector's "get an estimate" tool and to seek assistance from one of 50 navigator locations or the customer service line listed on the website. The Connector's updates and enrollment resources are posted at mahealthconnector.org (link: mahealthconnector.org/updates), and the director said navigators and staff are available to help people review plan options and complete enrollments.
Healy said the state has also taken steps to reduce costs, noting earlier measures to cap deductibles and copays. He announced he had directed Director Gasteyer to travel to Washington, D.C., to testify before a Senate panel to explain the local impacts and to urge senators to vote on an extension this week.
Healy framed the matter as urgent for families, small-business owners and self-employed residents who could face large premium increases without federal action. "All they need to do is just take a vote and extend these credits," he said, urging constituents to contact federal lawmakers ahead of the vote.
The briefing briefly touched on other topics: Healy expressed concern about sports betting's effects on young people and reiterated support for offshore wind, saying Vineyard Wind turbines are powering an estimated 250,000 homes and businesses and praising Attorney General Campbell and other attorneys general for recent legal action supporting state interests.
Next steps: Gasteyer will testify before a Senate panel in Washington as early as tomorrow to press for an extension, and Dec. 23 remains the Connector's last day to enroll for coverage starting Jan. 1. The administration urged residents who fear losing subsidies to visit the Connector website or contact navigators immediately.
