Affordable Care Act tax credits are set to expire at the end of the month. On Thursday, lawmakers failed to come up with an alternative, killing competing proposals from Democrats and Republicans. The Mountain West is expected to face some of the highest health insurance rate increases.
Brendan Buck with the non-profit healthcare watchdog group, Keep Americans Covered, observed the political debate in Congress with concern.
“On average premiums are going to increase 114% – and that’s just to keep the plan you already have. So families are going to be asked to pay hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars more a month,” said Buck.
Buck said when health insurance prices surge like this, those who absolutely need coverage will struggle to keep it. Those with fewer health issues may decide to drop coverage entirely. But, when people drop their coverage it creates a vicious cycle because it tends to drive premiums cost higher for those to remain enrolled, according to Buck.
The largest increases will be seen in New Mexico, followed by Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and Idaho, according to data from Keep Americans Covered. Workers affected most will be the millions of people who are not covered by an employer plan or a Medicare/Medicaid program. This may include older working adults about to retire, elderly, gig workers, small business owners and their employees.
