Lansing, Mich. – Monique Stanton, President and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy, released the following statement on behalf of the Protect MI Care Coalition today after the Senate failed to extend enhanced premium tax credits that make health care plans more affordable for millions of Americans:
“Today’s failure by the U.S. Senate to extend the enhanced premium tax credits is a devastating blow to millions of Americans, and to the hundreds of thousands of Michiganders who rely on the Affordable Care Act Marketplace for their health coverage. At a time when costs are rising and families are struggling with an unprecedented affordability crisis, this is the moment leaders should work together to make life easier, not play partisan games with people’s health care.
“On January 1, millions of hardworking Americans will see their premiums double or even triple — or be forced to go without coverage — because the Senate failed to pass this extension. By allowing the enhanced ACA tax credits to expire, the Senate has allowed health care premiums to skyrocket for more than 22 million people. They are turning their backs on families in a moment of profound need.
“For months, the Senate has known that the expiration of these credits would lead to massive premium increases, just as they knew when they voted to cut more than $1 trillion from health care to finance tax breaks for billionaires and large corporations through H.R.1. And when millions of Americans learned their bills would double or triple, they spoke out, calling congressional offices, protesting, and sharing their stories. But the Senate chose to kick the can down the road, and now working families are paying the price for that indifference.
“December 15 is the last day for people to sign up for coverage that begins in January, and many have already seen the unaffordable rate hikes on the Marketplace. One-in-four Americans insured through the ACA say they plan to drop their coverage because they can’t afford these skyrocketing premiums caused by Republican inaction. That means roughly 6 million people have been pushed out of coverage, and millions more will be forced to make impossible decisions just to keep their insurance.
“While families brace for these crushing premium hikes, some policymakers are pointing to Health Savings Accounts as a so-called solution. But HSAs do nothing to help the people who are about to lose coverage or face unaffordable bills on January 1. You need disposable income to contribute meaningfully to an HSA, and just 4% of HSA contributions come from people earning under $50,000. You also need a high-deductible plan, which only increases out-of-pocket costs. HSAs offer no immediate relief, no help with premium spikes, and no protection against losing coverage altogether. Premium tax credits do.
“The health proposal released by Senators Cassidy and Crapo not only fails to address the premium spikes hitting millions of ACA enrollees in just weeks, it could actually make out-of-pocket costs worse over time. It is not a substitute for the enhanced tax credits, and it will not solve the affordability crisis families are living through right now.
“We are deeply grateful to Senator Peters and Senator Slotkin for standing with Michigan families by voting to extend the enhanced premium tax credits and opposing the inadequate Cassidy–Crapo proposal. Their leadership reflects a clear understanding of what’s at stake for millions of Americans who cannot afford another hit to their household budgets.
“Premium tax credits are a proven tool that help people afford high-quality coverage, see a doctor when they’re sick, and get lifesaving medications. These credits ensured 24 million people could access meaningful care in 2025. Now, because the Senate let this deadline pass, millions will be priced out of that basic human right. Even if Congress tries to fix this later, the damage is already done. Many families who walk away from coverage now will not return.
“Michigan families, and families across the country, deserve solutions. They deserve leaders who put affordability, stability, and health before politics. Instead, they got partisan obstruction that will raise costs, reduce coverage, and deepen our healthcare affordability crisis. Talk is cheap, but healthcare isn’t. Congress must immediately refocus on extending the enhanced premium tax credits, because anything less fails to protect families from the crisis already unfolding.”
