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Senators and advocates warn expiring ACA tax credits will send premiums soaring for millions
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Summary
Senators Ron Wyden and Peter Welch and health advocates urged Congress to extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, saying expiration could double or more the premiums for millions of Americans; patients gave personal testimony about life-or-debt trade-offs if relief is not secured.
Senator Ron Wyden and Senator Peter Welch, joined by patients and advocates, told a public forum that letting Affordable Care Act premium tax credits lapse would sharply raise insurance costs and push many Americans out of coverage.
"There is no more important issue in American life than access to good quality affordable health care," Senator Wyden said, calling leaders' inaction "a dereliction of duty" for more than 20 million people he said face large premium increases. Wyden used a specific example of a couple he said would face a 500% premium increase for essentially the same care.
Senator Peter Welch said the lapse would be a direct hit on families, small businesses and farmers and estimated 45,000 Vermonters could lose coverage if the tax credits are not extended. Welch offered household examples in which annual premiums could increase by tens of thousands of dollars and said proposals that cut people off from care are not a valid way to control costs.
Patient testimony added a personal dimension. Stephanie Bradford of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who has been insulin-dependent since childhood, described current premiums she cited as $637.70 per month with tax credits in an earlier plan and later a plan reduced to $508 with a higher credit; she said out-of-pocket costs and co-pays push her monthly health bill to the mid four-figure range and that published estimates predict Pennsylvania premiums could at least double if the credits expire. "I'm looking at $1,324 just to stay alive," Bradford said, urging lawmakers to extend the credits.
Anne Schaupp of the advocacy group Protect Our Care said the pending lapse is a "GOP health care crisis," arguing previous Republican actions cut coverage and now threaten to remove tax credits that help millions. She told the senators that many families will face doubled or tripled premiums when open enrollment begins and urged immediate congressional action.
The forum included an invitation for questions but recorded no formal votes or committee directives. Senators Wyden and Welch said they would continue daily efforts to negotiate extensions and additional tools to address fraud and costs, and they remained available for follow-ups after the event.
The discussion focused on urging congressional leaders to permit negotiation across party lines and to prevent the expiration of premium tax credits in order to avoid projected spikes in coverage costs. No formal legislative action was taken at the meeting; organizers and speakers said they expect continued advocacy and outreach in the coming days.
