Record Number of Arizonans Sign Up for Health Insurance on ACA Marketplace As Republicans Threaten Its Future
PHOENIX — A record number of Arizonans have signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace during the 2024-25 enrollment period, due in large part to cost-saving tax credits made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act. But the new Republican Congress and President-elect Trump are already threatening to let the tax credits expire next year as they look to instead prioritize tax giveaways for the wealthiest Americans and corporations.
Over 400,000 Arizonans and over 24 million Americans have already signed up for health insurance on the ACA Marketplace with the current open enrollment period ending on January 15. The ACA tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025, and Republicans are already signaling that they'll let these credits expire while focusing on massive tax giveaways that benefit those at the top while doing next to nothing for everyone else.
According to the New York Times:
As Republicans assume control of the Senate and the House, it is unclear whether those subsidies, which come in the form of tax credits, will be renewed without significant compromise.
Some key congressional Republicans have cast doubt on an extension. Mr. Trump has not outlined a health care strategy for his second term, and has spoken vaguely about the Affordable Care Act when asked if he would again seek to overturn the law, as he did in when he first became president in 2017.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Trump did not respond to a question about what his approach to the subsidies would be once he takes office. His campaign said it did not support the increased assistance, which makes insurance effectively free for many lower-income people and decrease premiums for higher-earning households.
The Congressional Budget Office last month estimated that premiums would spike without a permanent extension of the enhanced subsidies, and the number of uninsured Americans would go up by more than two million in 2026, 3.7 million in 2027 and then 3.8 million each year on average through 2034.
“This year's record number of sign-ups makes clear that Arizonans want affordable health care coverage and they trust the Affordable Care Act to provide it,” said Andrea Moreno, executive director of Honest Arizona. “Congressmen David Schweikert and Juan Ciscomani have a duty to protect Arizonans' health care coverage and keep programs in place that help make coverage more affordable—like the ACA premium tax credits. Will they stand up to the incoming president and their colleagues for the good of their constituents?"
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