Congress gifts higher premiums to more than 300,000 Wisconsinites

Heading into the holidays, hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites will be burdened with wondering if they will be able to afford their health insurance next year, after Congress failed to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits.

More than 300,000 Wisconsinites purchased coverage through the federal or state-sponsored marketplaces last year and nearly 90% qualified for the credits. The average savings were more than $600 per month.

Vaishu Jawahar, director of policy programs for the advocacy group Protect Our Care, said now, people will be faced with premium costs doubling or tripling on Jan. 1.

“Most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck,” Jawahar pointed out. “Just one illness or hospital visit could bankrupt them under these GOP plans.”

Jawahar stressed under the expanded tax credits, just 8% of Americans were uninsured but under the Republican-led health plan signed last week, unaffordable health insurance will force many to forego coverage altogether. In Wisconsin, middle-class families, retirees, small business owners, self-employed individuals and farmers would be most affected.

Thad Schumacher, a pharmacist from Fitchburg, said his pharmacy serves a lot of families affected by health care costs, including many from underserved communities. He noted of the more than 300,000 Wisconsinites who bought Affordable Care Act health care last year, nearly 110,000 could lose coverage altogether next year.

He explained for a 45-year-old in Wisconsin making $62,000 a year, their premium could reach up to $2,800.

“For many of our patients, that’s the kind of increase that means they’re going to skip appointments, start rationing medication and make choices that ultimately lead to worse outcomes and poor health,” Schumacher cautioned. “Not to mention, when we do get around to taking care of those folks, it’s more expensive for everyone.”

Supporters of the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, led by House Republicans, said it will cut costs, protect small businesses from overreach and make health care more affordable by tackling middlemen. They contended Democratic efforts would have increased spending.

Related: OPINION: Without the ACA Premium Tax Credit, my family’s health coverage is at risk