ICYMI: DeGette, Conway, Patterson Emphasize Negative Impact of Expiring Health Care Tax Credits
DENVER, CO — Yesterday, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01), Colorado Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway, and Connect for Health Colorado CEO Kevin Patterson held a press conference to discuss how Congressional Republicans failing to renew Affordable Care Act premium tax credits will drive up health care costs for hundreds of thousands of Coloradans.
“We are facing a Republican-forced health care crisis because Donald Trump and my colleagues in Congress refuse to work with Democrats to extend vital ACA tax credits for hardworking Americans,” said DeGette. “They had no problem forcing through an extension of tax cuts for billionaires, but helping everyday Coloradans afford health care is apparently too much for them. Republicans need to come back to Washington to stop health care costs from skyrocketing. I am grateful to Commissioner Conway and Kevin Patterson for their work to support and protect health care for Colorado families.”
“I want to thank Congresswoman DeGette and the members of the Colorado congressional delegation who are pushing for Congress to extend the enhanced premium tax credits (EPTCs) that expire at the end of the year. As insurance commissioners across the country have been saying all year, without these subsidies, people enrolled in the ACA will receive catastrophic premium increases. These increases will lead to devastating choices like whether to buy groceries or maintain access to health care. In Colorado, we expect tens of thousands of people to lose coverage and access to healthcare. Congress needs to do the right thing and extend EPTCs as soon as possible,” said Colorado Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway.
“It’s not too late for Congress to extend enhanced Premium Tax Credits for our customers. Connect for Health Colorado stands ready to act. Our team is prepared to work as quickly as possible to ensure the customers we serve have reliable, high quality and affordable health insurance,” said Kevin Patterson, Connect for Health Colorado CEO.
The Affordable Care Act established premium tax credits (PTCs) to help lower premiums for low-income Americans for qualified health plans offered through health insurance exchanges. The American Rescue Plan Act began enhanced premium tax credits (EPTCs) to provide larger subsidies to a greater number of households by increasing support for low- and middle-income Americans and limiting premiums to a percentage of income for all Americans. Nearly 20 million Americans received premium tax credits in 2024.
Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans have so far refused to extend EPTCs, which expire in December 2025. If Republicans allow EPTCs to expire, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates 4.5 million people will lose their health insurance and millions will see their premiums increase drastically.
The full press conference can be viewed here.
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