No one should have to decide between health care and putting food on the table, buying school supplies, or other necessities for hardworking families; and no one should have to live in fear that a medical emergency will result in bankruptcy.
Unfortunately, these are dilemmas far too many families in Toledo and across our state face.
More must be done to alleviate the burden of health-care costs, but under the leadership of President Biden, we’ve made tremendous strides. One consequential step forward was the passage of the American Rescue Plan last year, which, along with vital investments to help our communities and families fight the pandemic, made health-care premiums significantly more affordable.
The ARP included life-changing tax credits that guaranteed coverage costs less than 8.5 percent of income. This allowed millions of enrollees to find a quality plan for $10 or less a month and saved families an average of $2,400 a year on our insurance premiums.
These premium savings helped drive record enrollment; more than 14.5 million Americans purchased health coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces.
In Ohio alone, 260,000 people signed up for 2022 coverage, with more than 205,000 enrollees, or 79 percent, benefitting from the tax credits in the ARP. At the end of the day, lower health-care costs has not just meant peace of mind, breathing room, and greater financial stability for families, but it has resulted in more people on health care — an overall long-term benefit for our state, county, and society as a whole.
All of this progress, however, is hanging in the balance.
If Congress does not act, these tax credits will expire at the end of this year, and premiums will suddenly rise for middle class families at the beginning of 2023.
For example, a 60-year old Ohio couple with a household income of $75,000 could see a monthly premium increase of $1,062, back to pre-ARP levels; and an Ohio family of four making $120,000 could see an increase of $349.
Worse yet, an estimated 63,000 Ohioans could lose their health coverage and become uninsured.
Cost savings for low-wage workers are also on the line. Premiums were eliminated on the ACA exchange for people earning up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level — roughly $20,000 for a single person and $41,000 for a family of four. If Congress does not extend the tax credits, those with less will once again be forced to decide between health coverage and life’s other necessities.
Open enrollment for 2023 plans begins on November 1st this year. There isn’t a moment to waste — Congress should act immediately to make the ARP’s tax credits a permanent part of the Affordable Care Act.
In Toledo, we are fortunate to have Sen. Sherrod Brown and U.S. Marcy Kaptur fighting for us in Congress.
It’s time for congressional Republicans to put politics aside and do what’s right to ensure hardworking families can continue to access the health care they need.
Dr. Willie Perryman is president of the Toledo NAACP and pastor of the Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church.
First Published June 29, 2022, 1:36 p.m.
