WATCH: Padilla, California Health Care Leaders Blast Republicans’ Refusal to Prevent Californians’ Health Care Costs From Soaring

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After Senate Republicans voted against Democrats' plan to prevent millions of Americans' health care costs from skyrocketing, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) hosted a virtual press conference to sound the alarm on the looming Republican health care crisis. Padilla was joined by California and national health care leaders to highlight the severe consequences of Republicans' refusal to pass Democrats' proposal of a three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits before they expire at the end of the year, jeopardizing care for over 1.7 million Californians who rely on these essential subsidies.

As the Trump Administration's largest reduction to Medicaid in history and disastrous tariff wars are already raising costs for working families, Republicans' failure to extend the ACA tax credits will nearly double Californians' health care premiums on average, pricing 400,000 residents out of their insurance coverage completely next year. Across the country, nearly 22 million Americans rely on these tax credits, and 4 million Americans could lose their health care altogether from their expiration.

Jessica Altman, Executive Director of Covered California; Jessica Wilson (Cruz), CEO of National Alliance on Mental Illness; Sandy Reding, a Registered Nurse, President of the California Nurses Association, and Vice President of National Nurses United; and Dr. Rachel Ruiz, Pediatric Gastroenterologist at Santa Clara Medical Center and Valley Physicians Group Chair joined Padilla in warning about the rising costs of Americans' health care.

"Today, Republicans voted to rip health insurance away from millions of Americans. Three weeks from now, lifesaving Affordable Care Act tax credits will expire, leading to skyrocketing health care costs for over 1.7 million Californians, all because Republicans refused to get serious about health care," said Senator Padilla. "Democrats' position hasn't changed: we're fighting to prevent premiums from doubling or even tripling starting in January. But with costs rising on everything from groceries and housing to energy bills and health care, Republicans are forcing Americans to make the impossible decision between coming up short on rent and groceries or skipping out on health care for the year."

"The Enhanced Premium Tax Credits have made health care coverage attainable for over 24 million Americans, and enrollment has doubled nationally since 2021, so we know the best way to keep health care affordable is to extend these tax credits," said Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman. "In California, premiums would nearly double - on average - if Congress does not act. Over 1.7 million Californians need these credits extended by Congress so they can afford health care coverage in 2026, as they run their small businesses, work in the gig economy, or have just retired."

"When a family is in crisis, they shouldn't have to worry about how it will be paid for. Without these tax credits, we're going to see a ripple effect on families, individuals, and the streets of California. With an ongoing mental health crisis in this country, we cannot let millions of people lose coverage for lifesaving mental health treatment, counseling, and recovery supports," said Jessica Wilson (Cruz), CEO of NAMI California.

"Nurses are extremely concerned that Congress failed to take action to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies. Twenty million of our patients across the country stand to lose their health care coverage, including 400,000 Californians who will be priced out of their insurance plans if these subsidies are not extended. Congress also needs to immediately reverse the worst of H.R. 1, especially the over $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid. Despite the fact that the hospital where I work is in a congressional district that has 67 percent Medicaid recipients, our Republican member of Congress still voted to cut Medicaid in favor of giving tax breaks for the super rich. Nurses know that the only real fix for our broken healthcare system, more broken now than ever, is to pass Medicare for All and ensure all our patients get the healthcare they need when they need it," said Sandy Reding, RN, President of the California Nurses Association, Vice President of National Nurses United.

"When premiums rise, many patients will be forced to drop their coverage and delay care. They won't, however, drop their chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure. I don't see this as a political issue," said Dr. Rachel Ruiz, Pediatric Gastroenterologist at Santa Clara Medical Center and Valley Physicians Group Chair. "From my perspective - in the exam room and at my patient's bedside - this is about the stark choice between prevention and catastrophe. Our patients are not a line item on a budget; they are the essential workers, parents, and grandparents who make our community run. The ACA tax credits are preventive medicine for our community. They are a stabilizing force that allows tens of thousands in our county and hundreds of thousands throughout the state to stay connected to their doctors and medications and to remain healthy, without the fear of one illness or one hospitalization bankrupting them. Despite today's outcome, my colleagues and I will remain steadfast. But without these credits, practicing medicine will feel like working in quicksand and we will be forced to make impossible choices with limited resources."

After Republicans shut down the government for 43 days rather than address Americans' rising cost of living and health care, Padilla slammed Republicans' unserious, last-minute proposal that fails to extend the subsidies and increases premiums and deductibles for tens of millions of Americans while promoting junk plans to families across the nation.

Senator Padilla consistently slammed President Trump and Senate Republicans for rejecting Democrats' bill to avert a government shutdown and protect health care coverage for millions of Americans. Yesterday, he called on Republicans to pass Senate Democrats' proposal to extend the ACA tax credits for three years before they expire next month. In September, Senator Padilla joined California health care leaders in Los Angeles to call on Congressional Republicans to work with Democrats to protect health care coverage for nearly 2 million California residents and avoid a Republican-caused government shutdown. In July, Padilla blasted Senate Republicans' passage of their tax bill that will kick 15 million Americans off their health care, shutter rural hospitals across the country, gut critical programs, and explode the debt by over $3.5 trillion.

Video of the full virtual press conference is available for download here.

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