10/09/2025

N. WISCONSIN - Policy experts are calling on Congress to not only extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, but to address the broader issue of rapidly rising health care costs that threaten to crush hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites.

People across the country are already feeling economically strapped. Angela Hanks with the nonprofit Century Foundation says many are now faced with a worsening health care affordability crisis caused by deliberate policy choices in Congress. Legislation passed over the summer would result in up to 15 million people losing Medicaid or health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, with enhanced A-C-A tax credits set to expire at the end of the year.

0:08  "We've put that as an average enrollee paying over $1,000 more next year for their health care if Congress takes no action this year."

An analysis from the Foundation shows rural counties will be disproportionately affected, with enrollees potentially facing a 28 percent higher cost increase than those in urban areas. Counties with higher cancer rates will also see greater premium increases. Wisconsin saw a record 18 percent jump in A-C-A marketplace enrollment this year with more than 313-thousand people purchasing a plan.

Insurance companies have already reported their rates for the next year, projecting an average 18 percent increase in premiums for ACA plans across the board. That's the largest increase in more than five years. This means A-C-A enrollees face both rising premiums and the potential loss of tax credits that help make insurance affordable.