ICYMI: ‘Pappas warns of rising health insurance premiums if ACA credits expire’

In case you missed it, WMUR reported on the roundtable Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) held with leadership from Federally Qualified Health Centers on Thursday, October 16, to discuss the impacts on providers and patients across New Hampshire if Congress fails to extend enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. 

Community Health Centers (CHCs) in New Hampshire are projected to lose nearly $26 million in funding, and more than 4,000 CHC patients in New Hampshire are estimated to lose their Marketplace insurance coverage if enhanced premium tax credits are allowed to expire. 

Read or watch the full story from WMUR here.

Key Excerpts:

• U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-New Hampshire, is warning of dire consequences for health insurance markets if tax credits under the Affordable Care Act are allowed to expire. Health providers for low-income families are bracing for a big financial hit if the tax credits expire at the end of this year.
• "It's going to hurt people at every level with every kind of health care need," said Betsy Burtis of Amoskeag Health.
• There are no New Hampshire-specific numbers yet for how much premiums could go up on the ACA marketplace, but Pappas said that nationwide, the average increase is expected to be 75%.
• "Whether you get your plan off the ACA or whether you have your own private insurance or you're on Medicaid, those costs are going to be borne across the health care system, and we're going to see worse health outcomes," [Pappas] said.
• On top of that, community health centers are staring down massive increases in health care costs for their own employees. "We're being warned by our brokers we should brace for about a 40% premium increase," said Greg White of Lamprey Health Care. "That's not something we have in our budget, nor can our staff afford that."
• While the issue has become wrapped up in discussions over the government shutdown, Pappas said that one way or another, it needs to be addressed. "This has to get settled over the next few weeks," he said. "Many states have already sent out letters, so there are folks out there that are already comparing plans to what they paid last year, and some folks are seeing $5,000 or $10,000 added to the premium that they paid just last year. That's untenable."