Ascension’s Mission to serve all persons with special attention to the poor and vulnerable is the driving force behind all of the work we do across our ministry. From providing spiritually-centered, holistic and personalized care to those who need it most, regardless of their ability to pay, to improving how patients experience their hospital visits through innovative new technologies, the Mission is front and center. This also extends to our advocacy for public policies that expand and protect access to quality and affordable care for all.
Right now, more than 20 million American individuals and families who purchase their health plans on the individual marketplace rely on enhanced premium tax credits to afford their monthly premiums. This financial relief is essential to their ability to access the healthcare services they need. However, the tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025 unless Congress takes decisive action to extend them beyond the current deadline. Failure to do so could be detrimental not only to the healthcare marketplace, but it could also leave roughly four million Americans uninsured.
That’s why Ascension has joined Keep Americans Covered, a nonpartisan, broad-based coalition of healthcare providers, insurers, community leaders and patient advocates who are committed to ensuring access to care remains affordable for the 20 million Americans who rely on this financial relief. As part of the coalition, we are calling on Congress to preserve this premium support so that qualified families can continue to access the care they need.
The enhanced premium tax credits, created in 2021 and extended in 2022, have reduced uninsured rates and led to substantial savings for millions of Americans enrolled on the individual marketplace, including an approximately 48 percent reduction in monthly healthcare premiums, saving them an average of $700 annually. Overall, they have been instrumental in reducing barriers to lifesaving and preventive care and promoting healthier communities.
According to a recent survey released by Keeping Americans Covered, “an overwhelming bipartisan majority (86%) want newly-elected leaders to preserve expiring health care tax credits, prioritizing this over other congressional issues.” This level of bipartisan agreement demonstrates the vital importance of healthcare access to Americans from all backgrounds who are facing economic headwinds in several directions.
To help you further grasp the cost of letting the enhanced premium tax credits expire, Keeping Americans Covered has created a helpful, interactive map to show how families in your state could be impacted by their expiration. Congress has the opportunity to secure an important, bipartisan win by extending the tax credits and ensuring all Americans can continue to access quality and affordable healthcare.
