DENVER — The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), enacted in March 2021, included two key provisions that expanded Affordable Care Act (ACA) eligibility for increased premium tax credit benefits. These subsidies are set to expire at the end of 2022. This program expiration will dramatically increase health insurance premium costs for an estimated 13 million Americans with insurance plans through the ACA.
Voices of Health Care Action Founder and Affordable Care Act Advocate Laura Packard issued the following statement:
“The 2021 American Rescue Plan’s Affordable Care Act subsidies resulted in a record-breaking health insurance enrollment of 14.5 million Americans for 2022. But the expiration of these crucial, live-saving subsidies is right around the corner. Unless renewed, voters will receive news of their 2023 premium hikes right before the November midterms.
Without swift action from Congress, tens of millions of Americans will face skyrocketing premium increases, pricing them out of health insurance. Congressional inaction will rob them of live-saving care — during a global pandemic.
Senators are officially back in their offices, following a two-week break. As they set their agenda for the last few days before the August 5 recess, they must prioritize a renewal of the ACA subsidies in any upcoming negotiations on a budget reconciliation bill.
Senate Republicans have been consistent in their opposition to live-saving access to health care, and have voted against Americans’ health care for years. If they will not act to shore up the ACA in a bipartisan manner, all 50 Senate Democrats must band together to avoid the impending catastrophe if these subsidies expire. American lives hang in the balance — there is no time to waste.”
Laura Packard is the founder of Voices of Health Care Action, executive director of Health Care Voter, and a stage-4 cancer survivor. The Affordable Care Act saved her life. She is a co-host of Care Talk, a call-in health care show on act.tv to answer America’s health insurance questions about the ACA, Medicare and Medicaid (airing Mondays at 4:30pm ET). If you’d like to connect with Laura about the ACA, the cost of health care, or her 2023 plans, please reach out to Charlotte Bennett at charlotte.bennett@firesidecampaigns.com.
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