Strong Open Enrollment Numbers Signal the Need to Pass the Health Care Affordability Act

01.10.2025 /

Strong Open Enrollment Numbers Signal the Need to Pass the Health Care Affordability Act

ACA enhancements help the vast majority of Americans cap the cost of health care coverage

WASHINGTON, DC - Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Tammy Baldwin, and Representative Lauren Underwood recently reintroduced their Health Care Affordability Act. This bicameral legislation would make permanent the Affordable Care Act's enhanced tax credits that make marketplace health plans more affordable for the vast majority of Americans.

The bill comes on the heels of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' announcement that nearly 24 million people have selected plans through the ACA marketplaces during this enrollment period. By reintroducing the Health Care Affordability Act, Sens. Shaheen and Baldwin and Rep Underwood are taking a proactive step to ensure this affordability assistance continues and ensure families - who are facing higher costs due to inflation - can keep their health coverage without incurring extra costs.

"As record numbers of Americans sign up for health coverage this year through the ACA marketplaces, we applaud Senators Shaheen and Baldwin and Representative Underwood for their bill to ensure these successful tax credits stay, by making this help permanent. Congress letting these tax credits expire would result in major spikes in premiums and millions of Americans losing coverage," said Anthony Wright, executive director of Families USA. "Congress must work together to pass this bill and extend these tax credits immediately, since insurers are starting to develop next year's rates now and will file them in the next few months. Without urgent action, Congress would both essentially give the green light for a surge on premium increases, for those who get the tax credit and even those who don't. Monthly premiums would double next year for millions of Americans and four million would lose their health insurance entirely."