ICYMI: Westchester Woman's Health Premiums Spike $10,000 After Congress Lets ACA Aid Expire
After Health Care Tax Credits Expire, Hudson Valley Families Face Crushing Cost Increases Thanks To Rep. Mike Lawler And His Inability To Act Sooner
HUDSON VALLEY, NEW YORK — A recent article highlights how one Westchester woman is now paying nearly $29,000 a year for health insurance after Republicans in Congress allowed health care tax credits to expire — a crisis impacting approximately 140,000 New Yorkers, including thousands in the Hudson Valley represented by Rep. Mike Lawler.
According to reporting by The Journal News, 56-year-old Karen Miletic saw her annual premiums jump by $10,000 in January when enhanced ACA tax credits lapsed at the end of December. Miletic and her wife, Maria Martinez, now pay $2,376.58 per month for coverage — up from $1,545.60 last year. Their combined income places them just above the eligibility threshold for ACA tax credits, forcing them to shoulder the full cost of coverage.
New Yorkers already pay some of the highest health insurance premiums in the country, with rates skyrocketing for thousands of Hudson Valley families following the expiration of ACA tax credits. Cuts to Medicaid and New York’s Essential Plan, which Congressman Mike Lawler voted for in last year’s Republican Tax Law, are expected to force around 860,000 New Yorkers off their health insurance, potentially leading dozens of rural hospitals and clinics across the state to raise the cost of care, reduce services, or even close their doors entirely.
The Journal News: NY woman's health premiums spike $10K after Congress let ACA aid expire
Karen Miletic wasn't too worried as Democrats and Republicans clashed last year over whether to continue the federal subsidies that held down Affordable Care Act health insurance costs for her and her wife.
Millions of Americans faced big cost spikes if Congress allowed the funding to expire as of Dec. 31. Miletic, a 56-year-old Westchester County native who lives in Peekskill, didn't really expect that to happen, even with Republican majorities resisting a renewal in both the House and Senate and the government closed for 43 days due to a partisan standoff on that issue.
But it happened. And as of January, Miletic's premiums shot up by $10,000 to nearly $29,000 a year. Now she and her wife are dipping into their savings to pay for their medical coverage.
“This is for my retirement,” Miletic said, referring to the savings she and her wife are now dipping into to afford coverage. “I work really hard, and the middle class keeps getting beaten down.
To learn more about the impact of expired health care tax credits in the Hudson Valley, please contact press@empirestatevoices.org
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Empire State Voices is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. We are fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding Members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same.
