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When Kassidy Hooter found out in December how much her health insurance premiums were increasing this year, she became extremely anxious.
A Shreveport, Louisiana, resident and mother of three was aware she urgently needed medical attention — Hooter is in the last stage of a high-risk pregnancy. However, the family could no longer afford their Affordable Care Act coverage since a federal tax change.subsidy was lapsingOn December 31, 2025, indicating they would encounter thousands of dollars in extra personal expenses.
We seriously thought it might be more cost-effective to have a home birth,” Hooter, 24, said to CBS News. “Because that’s an absurd amount of debt to accumulate.
In the end, Hooter chose to skip insurance entirely.
A nearby healthcare facility provided three months of financial support that will cover her until her due date in February and extend into late March. Following this, she will be responsible for any medical costs herself. Her current goal is to enroll her newborn in Medicaid, a government health program designed for individuals with limited income in the United States, as soon as possible.
“I’m simply hoping for the best,” she said to CBS News.
Health insurance as “luxury”
Since it was launched in 2010, the ACA has played a key role in reducing the percentage of Americans without health insurance from about 15% to 8%, as stated by Nima Sheth, vice president of health justice at the National Partnership for Women and Families, a non-profit advocacy organization.
Nevertheless, experts caution that the number of individuals without health coverage could significantly increase if Congress does not find a resolution for the 22 million Americans who received an ACA tax credit.
Residents in most states have until January 15 to sign up for an ACA marketplace plan, according tohealthinsurance.org.
If tax credits are removed, average premiums for ACA participants who previously received subsidies are expected to rise by 114%, according to estimates.KFFa non-profit organization that provides health policy news and research.
“The decision we’re witnessing is essentially making insurance a luxury and medical debt the standard outcome,” Michelle Sternthal, interim senior director of policy and strategy at the health care advocacy organization Community Catalyst, said to CBS News.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursdayapproved a three-year extensionRegarding the expired ACA tax credits. The bill is expected to encounter significant challenges in the Senate, which is controlled by Republicans, but legislators believe it may serve as a foundation for a compromise that ensures the credits remain in some capacity.
It’s having an immense impact on me
Stacy Kanas, a resident of Plantation, Florida, whose family also qualified for an ACA tax credit, is now thinking about forgoing health insurance after discovering that her monthly premium for coverage for herself and her husband would increase to $2,500 — more than double the amount she paid last year for both of them plus her 20-year-old daughter.
It’s weighing on me a great deal,” Kanas, 59, said to CBS News. “My husband had significant surgery about five years ago, and we don’t want to lose our health insurance.
Even though she is in good health, the small business owner is concerned about the potential consequences if a family member becomes seriously ill. “One major incident could lead to a financial crisis,” she explained.
Experts stated that even individuals who maintain their ACA coverage might still avoid seeking medical care to prevent additional costs.
“If you have insufficient insurance and high deductibles, the coverage you receive is meant to discourage seeking care, including preventive measures, leading you to postpone treatment until emergencies occur,” Sternthal stated.
Robert Myers, a consultant located outside of St. Louis, Missouri, was enrolled in a silver ACA plan previously, but transitioned to a bronze plan once he found out his premiums would increase to $400 per month, compared to $17 in 2025.
Under his new plan, the 31-year-old is not required to pay a monthly premium. However, Myers may face significantly higher out-of-pocket expenses because of $80 co-pays and an $8,000 deductible. Because of this, he is considering reducing the number of doctor visits, a pattern that experts claim leads more individuals to seek treatment in emergency rooms.
“They might head to the emergency room and get a temporary fix with a bandage, then fail to receive ongoing treatment,” Sheth said.
This may lead to broader consequences, as higher levels of unpaid hospital care can raise expenses for other patients, since institutions attempt to recover these costs, according to Sternthal, who advocates for expanding the ACA tax credits.
“Each delay forces families to make choices that negatively impact their health and financial security, and also has broader effects on the business and local communities,” she stated.