Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
How ACA premium rises are affecting western Pennsylvanians
This was the lead front page story in Sunday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette;
Link: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2025/12/28/aca-health-insurance-premiums/stories/202512280050
At Mary Jo Cares in Natrona Heights, Ms. Armstrong said, clients over the past couple weeks have been sharing far more tales of financial strain than she and her staff have heard before.
In one case, a couple relies on a single income of about $100,000. To keep the insurance they had in 2025, their premium was set to jump to $3,300 a month — roughly 40% of the household's income.
In another situation, a couple had been paying $180 a month. As the husband transitioned to Medicare, the marketplace plan would only be needed to cover his wife, yet the monthly premium would balloon to $550.
"I've been having anxiety attacks because I had to tell five clients that their price was over $2,000 [monthly]," Ms. Armstrong said.
In one case, a couple relies on a single income of about $100,000. To keep the insurance they had in 2025, their premium was set to jump to $3,300 a month — roughly 40% of the household's income.
In another situation, a couple had been paying $180 a month. As the husband transitioned to Medicare, the marketplace plan would only be needed to cover his wife, yet the monthly premium would balloon to $550.
"I've been having anxiety attacks because I had to tell five clients that their price was over $2,000 [monthly]," Ms. Armstrong said.
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
After the midterm elections 
__________
Kittanning broker John Daloisio said the true financial wallop for many consumers hasn’t arrived yet.
“The real shocker will arrive in April 2027, when that 2026 tax bill hits,” he said. “That’s when it’s going to blow up for some people.”
Some of the changes included in the legislation do not go into effect until then.
Meanwhile, some of the changes mark a return to pre-COVID days.
Before 2020, tax credits dropped to zero the moment a household's modified adjusted gross income rose above 400% of the federal poverty level. Households one dollar over that amount would lose all discounts on their ACA health insurance and receive zero tax credits.
The laws changed during the pandemic, and what previously was a cliff for those who miscalculated their future income became a downward slope for five years. This protection is what is set to expire at year's end if Congress takes no action.
__________
Kittanning broker John Daloisio said the true financial wallop for many consumers hasn’t arrived yet.
“The real shocker will arrive in April 2027, when that 2026 tax bill hits,” he said. “That’s when it’s going to blow up for some people.”
Some of the changes included in the legislation do not go into effect until then.
Meanwhile, some of the changes mark a return to pre-COVID days.
Before 2020, tax credits dropped to zero the moment a household's modified adjusted gross income rose above 400% of the federal poverty level. Households one dollar over that amount would lose all discounts on their ACA health insurance and receive zero tax credits.
The laws changed during the pandemic, and what previously was a cliff for those who miscalculated their future income became a downward slope for five years. This protection is what is set to expire at year's end if Congress takes no action.