Ahead of This Week’s Vote on Extending ACA Tax Credits, Senator Murray Lays Out the Stakes & Urges Republicans to Vote Yes in Final Opportunity to Stop Health Care Premiums[...]

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Senator Murray has been sounding the alarm on the looming health care cost cliff and calling on Republicans to work with Democrats to extend the ACA tax credits well over a year-FULL TIMELINE HERE

***WATCH PRESS CONFERENCE HERE, DOWNLOAD HERE***

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, held a virtual press conference on the fight to save the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits ahead of the critical vote this week on a proposal to extend the tax credits for three years. Joining Senator Murray for the press conference were Ingrid Ulrey, CEO of the Washington State Health Benefit Exchange, and Lisa, a Washington resident of King County who buys her health care through the Marketplace and is facing skyrocketing premiums with the looming expiration of the ACA enhanced premium tax credits.

At the press conference, Senator Murray discussed how inaction by Republican Members of Congress will force Washingtonians to pay significantly more for health care next year, and how this week's vote on a clean, three-year extension of the ACA tax credits is the last chance to prevent skyrocketing health care premiums starting in January, when the tax credits expire. Due to Republicans' refusal to extend the ACA enhanced premium tax credits, 22 million Americans-including over 216,000 in Washington state-are seeing their health care costs for next year skyrocket. Premiums are more than doubling on average for people who buy health coverage on the ACA Marketplace (Washington Healthplanfinder in Washington state), and these higher costs will push 4.8 million people off their health insurance coverage over the next decade. A Washington-state specific fact sheet on the ACA enhanced premium tax credits is HERE.

"I've heard from families across the country who are staring down unthinkable health care hikes. Premiums doubling, tripling, and worse. I am talking to people who learned their monthly premium is jumping by hundreds-in some cases thousands-of dollars a month. Americans who are making painful decisions wondering how they can cut down on groceries, gas, and other essentials to cover their rising premiums, or whether they will just roll the dice and go without coverage, even if it means skipping checkups or rationing their prescriptions," said Senator Murray. "These stories are so important to drive home the reality for Republicans who keep trying to bury their heads in the sand. This is not some talking point. It is not some thought exercise. The MAGA health care hike is a reality that millions of families are facing in this country right now. And unless we take action-decisive, quick action this week-to stop it, higher premium costs for millions of American families will be getting locked in for good."

Senator Murray played a critical role in passing the ACA enhanced premium tax credits into law in the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021 and extending them in the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022. Since then, she has called on Republicans to extend the enhanced premium tax credits dozens of times, calling attention to the tax credit cliff and how millions of Americans will see their health care costs jump dramatically if Republicans don't work with Democrats on an extension.

Senator Murray has been speaking out nonstop about the urgent need to save the ACA tax credits and stop health care costs from skyrocketing and calling on Republicans to come to the negotiating table to work out a bipartisan deal to extend the tax credits-which they have so far refused to do. She has spoken on the Senate floor numerous times to call for an extension of the ACA tax credits, and has held numerous virtual press conferences with Washingtonians, as well as residents of neighboring states Idaho and Montana, to sound the alarm and highlight the stakes of the health care fight. As the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray led legislation supported by the Democratic caucus that would have addressed the health care crisis and prevented the government shutdown. Senator Murray has also cosponsored multiple pieces of legislation over the past year-the Health Care Affordability Actand the Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act-that would make the ACA tax credits permanent.

"Open enrollment is really tough right now. People, as you said, are experiencing sticker shock. And I really want to emphasize what you said about a clean extension-we're overdue, we need this to happen. Literally, our customers are suffering and experiencing so much worry and anxiety about how they're going to afford something so basic and meaningful and important as health insurance. As you said, we need a clean extension, that's important. That means extending the existing policy as is, not changing into some other kind of policy, because we want to act quickly to pass on relief to our customers as soon as possible," saidIngrid Ulrey, CEO of the Washington State Health Benefit Exchange. "Our average customer coming in who will no longer be eligible in that income bracket, the increase will be up to $800 a month, is what they'll be seeing versus last year, a policy that cost $450 a month. And that's just the average. Many people are experiencing tens of thousands of dollar increases. So overall [they are] thinking about what kind of choices am I going to make? How am I going to afford to pay for health insurance at $10,000, $20,000, or even $30,000 a year?"

"When I went on Washington Healthplanfinder to get insurance for 2026, I found that the premium for continuing my current plan is now over $1,600 a month. That is an increase of nearly $9,000 for the calendar year - all to continue the same coverage with no increase in my health care needs. As a person living on a fixed retirement income, I do not have that extra money… I have been planning for my retirement for 30 years. I have been responsible with my spending. I waited to retire until I had savings and retirement income that allowed me to be self-sufficient and also pay for some modest recreation, travel and occasional gestures for my adult children. That's now gone," said Lisa Riveland, a resident of King County, Washington. "In the past year, my fixed income has already been stretched by skyrocketing prices for food, housing and basic services. Now the loss of the health care tax credit, and accompanying increased healthcare premium rates, has tipped my carefully planned budget on its head. This is my story. I expect every member of Congress is hearing similar stories. I hope these stories will translate to immediate action in Congress to secure affordable health care."

A timeline detailing how Senator Murray has been fighting for years to extend the ACA tax credits, and calling on Republicans to come to the table and negotiate, is HERE.

Senator Murray's remarks, as delivered on today's press call, are below:

"Thank you all for joining me as we keep the spotlight on the MAGA health care hike, and give Republicans one last chance to join us and stop these premiums from skyrocketing across the country.

"I have been raising the alarm about this all year long, and Republicans have been trying to ignore it all year long. Literally, they chose to shut down the government rather than even talk with us about health care.

"Still, just because Republicans don't want to talk about something, that's never going to stop me from talking to my constituents about it, and lifting up their stories and concerns loud and clear in the other Washington.

"And I will tell you-I have heard so many heartbreaking stories from so many concerned families when it comes to skyrocketing health care costs. I've heard from families across the country who are staring down unthinkable health care hikes. Premiums doubling, tripling, worse. I am talking to people who learned their monthly premium is jumping by hundreds, and in some cases thousands-of dollars a month.

"Americans who are making painful decisions wondering how they can cut down on groceries, gas, and other essentials to cover their rising premiums, or whether they will just roll the dice and go without coverage, even if it means skipping checkups or rationing prescriptions.

"Later on this call, Lisa from Washington state is going to share her story and talk about the health care price hike she's facing next year because of this Republican inaction.

"These stories are so important to drive home the reality for Republicans who keep trying to bury their heads in the sand. This is not some talking point. It is not some thought exercise. The MAGA health care hike is a reality that millions of families are facing in this county right now.

"And unless we take action-decisive, quick action this week-to stop it, higher premium costs for millions of American families will be getting locked in for good.

"So, time is of the absolute essence right now. The fact of the matter is, this should have been happening months ago. We should not be having this conversation in the middle of December. If Republicans wanted to make reforms to the tax credits, the time for that was before open enrollment.

"But right now, the only thing we have time for is a clean extension of the tax credits-which is exactly what Democrats will be forcing a vote on this week.

"We need to stop the health care hike right now, and we need to save health care for the tens of millions of American families who are counting on us. We are way past the deadline-we are in overtime.

"Republicans need to understand that it's literally now or never for stopping these premium hikes families are facing next year. And by refusing a clean extension and running out the clock, Republicans are choosing: the never.

"But I'm not going to stop pushing. I am not going to stop sharing families' stories, and keeping up the pressure. So long as there is even a chance we can stop premiums from skyrocketing, and save millions of patients from getting priced out of their health coverage. I am going to push with everything I've got to make sure we get it done.

"And if Republicans refuse to do the right thing, the obvious thing, the thing their own constituents are begging us to do, if they refuse to stop this MAGA health care hike, well, our fight doesn't end at the end of this year.

"I am going to continue sharing these stories. I am going to continue holding Republicans accountable. And more importantly, the American people are going to hold Republicans accountable too-with their voices and their votes.

"And listen, looking past this fight to save the ACA tax credits, which is so crucial, we still need universal health care in America. We have needed that for a very long time. It's always what I've fought for. So I am going to keep pushing for reforms that make high-quality health care-that's actually affordable-a reality for every American.

"And now, I'll turn it over to Ingrid, CEO of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange to share some remarks."

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