Expiration Of Healthcare Subsidies Will Have Domino Effect, Leading To Higher Prices And Increased Medical Debt

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the United States to cope with a health insurance crisis it didn’t anticipate. Congress and the Biden administration responded by enacting policies to expand access to subsidized private health plans sold through Affordable Care Act exchanges.

The results were nothing short of spectacular: Fewer than 10% of Americans are uninsured, compared to nearly 22% in 2010. In addition, a record 14.5 million consumers are enrolled in a state health insurance exchange plan.

However, unless Congress takes action, the subsidies will expire at the end of the year, and millions of Americans will experience dramatic price increases, become uninsured and likely accrue medical debt.

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) enabled consumers to enjoy lower premiums and access to premium tax credits regardless of income. This made health insurance more affordable for individuals and families, which led to a record 21% increase in public health exchange enrollment compared to prior coverage years.

State-based exchanges enrolled an additional 600,000 individuals, according to the National Academy for State Health Policy, which also reported the average premium savings ranged from 7% to 47% across the state exchanges. Further, 20% or more of enrollees are paying less than $25 per month for coverage in at least eight states. It is a significant achievement to make health insurance affordable for those who once considered coverage financially out of reach.

Returning consumers can even save, on average, 40% off of their monthly premiums because of enhanced tax credits in the ARP, according to the CMS. These changes are possible because the federal government reduced the salary ceiling for tax credits, recognizing a universe of low and middle-income people who earned too much to qualify for Medicaid but found the prices of most insurance plans out of reach.

In some cases, the credits saved individuals thousands a year. The cost, for instance, of a “silver” health plan is currently $390 a month with subsidies for individuals earning $55,000 annually, down from $560 a month.

Unfortunately, those cost savings may end, leaving individuals with the hard decision of either paying for coverage or paying for basic necessities. More often than not, the latter wins out. Securing insurance through an employer isn’t always a better (or even viable) option, since premiums in employer-sponsored plans increased 3.6% in 2021 and 3.9% in 2020, according to the Urban Institute.

 

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