Washington, DC – Millions of working Americans are losing health insurance and Republicans are to blame. New reporting from the Wall Street Journal featuring polling from KFF shows that nearly 10 percent of people who had ACA plans last year dropped health insurance altogether because of higher costs. Most who remained on ACA plans also reported higher health care costs, with many indicating they might have to drop their insurance later this year. That’s millions of people without coverage because Republicans in Congress sent their costs soaring. And Americans know it’s Republicans who are taking away their health care.
According to KFF’s poll, more than half of Americans blame Republicans in Congress for rising health care costs.
Americans are blaming them because it’s true. Congressional Republicans’ massive cuts to health care have put a projected 15 million Americans at risk of losing health insurance and left millions more struggling to keep up with rising costs. Republicans made these cuts all so they could give more tax breaks to billionaires and corporations.
“Republicans knew that health care tax credits were critical to helping millions of Americans afford their health insurance, but they chose to get rid of them to fund more tax breaks for their billionaire buddies,” said Unrig Our Economy Campaign Director Leor Tal. “Costs are higher, millions are without insurance, and working Americans are having to make sacrifices just to afford basic health care – and they know that Republicans are to blame. It’s time Republicans finally started listening to their constituents and fixing the health care crisis they created.”
Wall Street Journal: Millions of Americans Are Going Uninsured Following Expiration of ACA Subsidies
- Nearly one in 10 people who had Affordable Care Act plans last year dropped health insurance altogether, after premium costs rose sharply because of the expiration of federal subsidies, according to a new survey.
- Most of those who remained in ACA plans reported larger out-of-pocket healthcare expenses in the form of higher copays, coinsurance or deductibles, according to the survey from health-research nonprofit KFF.
- About one-sixth of those who still have ACA coverage, or 17%, weren’t sure they would be able to afford their new premium payments for the entire year, indicating more people might drop insurance as the year goes on.
- The higher healthcare costs have forced many ACA policyholders to make hard choices at a time when grocery and gas prices are also rising.
- Kelly Rose, 59 years old, who lives near Orlando, Fla., became uninsured this year because she couldn’t pay the roughly $1,700 monthly bill to keep the ACA plan she had in 2025. “It’s more than my mortgage,” she said.
- The cost is a huge jump compared to 2025, when she got help from a subsidy, she said.
KFF: Many ACA Customers Are Paying Higher Premiums. Most Blame Trump and Republicans, Poll Finds.
- Most people who get their health coverage through the Affordable Care Act say they face sharply higher costs, with many worried they will have to pare back other expenses to cover them, according to a poll released Thursday.
- Some are uncertain whether they will be able to continue paying their premiums all year.
- Across all respondents who were registered to vote, the poll found more than half place “a lot” of blame for rising costs on Republicans in Congress (54%), with a similar share putting the same level of blame on President Donald Trump (53%).
- While more than half (55%) of returning ACA enrollees said they will have to pare back on other household expenses to cover health care costs, about 17% said they might not be able to continue paying insurance premiums throughout the year.
- Overall, 80% of those who reenrolled for 2026 said their premiums, deductibles, or other costs are higher this year than last, with 51% saying they are “a lot higher.”
- Data released Jan. 28 by federal officials showed that about 23 million people enrolled in Obamacare plans across the federal healthcare.gov marketplace and those run by states, about 1.2 million fewer than in 2025.
- But it isn’t yet known how many are paying their monthly premiums on time, and many analysts expect overall enrollment numbers to fall as that data becomes available in the coming months.
- For most people, having to pay more for premiums this year was mainly due to the expiration of the enhanced tax cuts, pollsters noted.
To learn more about the campaign, visit UnrigOurEconomy.com or contact press@unrigoureconomy.com
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About Unrig Our Economy
Unrig Our Economy is a national campaign to fix the rules of our economy to make it work for working people. We know that when the middle class does well, all of us do well — which is why we’re fighting on behalf of working Americans and holding corporations, their wealthy executives, and the politicians who enable them accountable.