AFT members join Democrats in push to protect healthcare

On Oct. 1, the White House and congressional majority shut down the federal government. They refused to support Democrats in extending Affordable Care Act subsidies to millions of Americans before they face skyrocketing health insurance costs in the coming weeks. Republicans insisted that negotiations over healthcare funding should wait, holding firm in their GOP-backed continuing resolution to fund the government. The fight comes just weeks before the ACA's open-enrollment period begins on Nov. 1.

Without congressional action, the enhanced subsidies-first put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic-will expire, leading to sharp premium hikes for more than 20 million people, which experts say will drive 4 to 5 million patients to drop coverage altogether.

Republican refusal to extend these subsidies may impact everyone in the union. Patients without coverage will still seek needed care, often at the emergency room, which will drive up premiums or reduce services for everyone because hospitals will pass those uncompensated costs on to bargained health plans.

At a news conference on the U.S. Capitol steps the morning of Sept. 30, activists joined Democratic lawmakers in calling on Republicans to act. Catharyne Henderson, a surgical oncology nurse at Ohio State University Medical Center and a member of the Ohio Nurses Association, was one of several healthcare practitioners or patients who addressed the crowd.

"I'm here today because I can't remain silent when it comes to protecting my patients and their health," said Henderson. She blasted recent Republican policies that allowed health care tax credits to lapse while giving tax breaks to the wealthy. The result is "a full-blown healthcare crisis," she said. "Up to 15 million people are at risk of losing their coverage. Hospitals and clinics could be forced to close or cut essential services."

In Ohio, Henderson warned, as many as 11 hospitals are at risk of closing. For rural communities, that would mean longer travel times for patients and heavier strain on already stretched rural and urban hospitals. "When a hospital or clinic closes, the whole community feels the ripple effects; jobs disappear, and schools and small businesses suffer," she said. "The impact here is clear. If this crisis isn't resolved," these increases will place a burden not only on patients but also on the remaining communities "to provide care where capacity and nurses are already stretched thin."

Democrats argue that protecting healthcare subsidies is essential not just to patients but also to the broader economy. The subsidies have kept premiums affordable for millions of working families. Without them, families could see sudden cost increases, leaving many uninsured.

"Everyone knows that cancer doesn't discriminate, and early detection is lifesaving" Henderson said. "Without insurance, I worry that someone's mother, father or child will have to forgo treatment or preventive care regardless of your political party."

Later in the day, Henderson joined advocates at the Healthcare over Billionaires Rally outside the Capitol as the Senate voted on a stopgap measure to keep the government open. She emphasized the personal stakes for nurses on the frontlines. "If the government shuts down, it's because there was a choice made, one that prioritizes politics over protecting healthcare and keeping costs from rising," said Henderson. "Our country, our patients, nurses and families deserve stability, healthcare and dignity. And we're going to fight for it."

[Adrienne Coles]