Hundreds gathered in Scranton for a Saturday town hall where members of Congress and local health workers described how changes in federal policy could sharply reduce health coverage and increase costs for families.

Kristen Zantas, a home‑care aide and SEIU member, recounted her recent colon‑cancer diagnosis and the burden of premiums and out‑of‑pocket bills. “I was worried about money and insurance,” Zantas said, describing chemotherapy bills over $2,000 per treatment and saying neighbors would be forced to drop coverage if premium tax credits expire.

Congressman Brendan Boyle (D‑Pa.) told the audience the Congressional Budget Office projects substantial coverage losses from the contested federal legislation and framed the debate as a choice about priorities. “The Congressional Budget Office projects 15,000,000 Americans will lose their health care as a direct result,” Boyle said, and urged residents to use the district tool on boyle.house.gov to see local impacts.

Rep. Madeleine Dean (D‑Pa.) highlighted district estimates, noting state officials’ warnings that tens of thousands may opt out of coverage and offering a specific example she said illustrates the stakes: she told the audience a 60‑year‑old couple earning $85,000 could see premiums rise by an estimated $29,000 without the subsidies.

Rep. Jim McGovern (D‑Mass.) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D‑Wash.) linked coverage losses to other harms, including cuts to Medicaid and SNAP that they said would threaten rural hospitals and increase use of emergency care. “When people decide that they can no longer afford health insurance, their only recourse is the emergency room,” McGovern said.

Lawmakers emphasized two immediate goals: (1) press Congress to extend the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits as a short‑term bridge, and (2) pursue longer‑term reforms that reduce costs. Jayapal described a campaign on expanded Medicare proposals and warned against consolidation of hospitals and health‑care systems, saying private‑equity takeovers and monopoly consolidation are driving up costs and limiting options.

Audience members pressed for concrete help. Margo Absosnik, a health‑care executive, asked for cost studies and materials residents could share; representatives pointed to Medicare‑for‑All cost studies and Boyle’s online district tool as sources of local estimates. Several nurses and organizers in the audience urged building worker power and voter engagement as the practical levers to change policy.

Lawmakers also described legislation and bipartisan efforts they say would reduce conflicts of interest in Congress, including proposals to ban individual stock trading by members and enforcement steps they said are needed to restore public trust.

The event closed with an appeal for civic action: organizers said they would deliver a petition to a local congressman’s office asking restoration of SNAP and Medicaid protections, and representatives urged attendees to tell their stories and continue local advocacy.

The town hall did not record any formal votes or binding commitments; lawmakers repeatedly called for constituent pressure in the coming weeks and offered online resources for district‑level impact figures.