Lisa Blunt Rochester is a Democrat serving Delaware in the U.S. Senate. Trinidad Navarro is the state’s insurance commissioner.
As a U.S. senator who serves on the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, and as Delaware’s insurance commissioner prioritizing the protection of Delawareans, we are fighting every day to make sure Delawareans have access to quality, affordable health care and insurance coverage. We know just how important this is for families — it’s about whether you can see a doctor, fill a prescription and get the care you need.
That’s why we are sounding the alarm about open enrollment this year.
On Nov. 1, Delawareans began to have the chance to sign up for health insurance through HealthCare.gov. Whether you renew your current plan or enroll in a new one, it’s more important than ever to review your options because this open enrollment season will be different. For millions of Americans across the country, premiums are expected to skyrocket. And you deserve to know why.
During the pandemic, Congress increased help for working families by expanding tax credits for people who purchase their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. These tax credits were implemented to increase the number of insured Americans during the pandemic. In turn, they have lowered premiums and made health care more affordable for many Americans, especially small businesses. In fact, about half of the people enrolled through ACA are small-business owners and their employees. These folks are the backbone of our economy, and they rely on those tax credits to afford their care.
However, we are now a month into a federal government shutdown because Republicans in Congress refuse to extend those tax credits. They would rather keep the government closed — denying pay to our military and letting children who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program go hungry — than keep health care costs down for families. When Delawareans log into HealthCare.gov during this open enrollment season, they will see the cost of Republican inaction.
For a 50-year-old couple in Middletown making $85,000 a year, a standard Silver plan currently costs about $591 a month. But, next year, that same plan could cost $1,915 monthly — which is nearly one-third of that couple’s income. For a single 61-year-old person in Georgetown making $68,000, the premiums for a basic Bronze plan could balloon from $218 to $1,192 — an unbelievable increase of 466%.
These price hikes will force families to make impossible choices. Will they pay for their insurance or will they pay their electric bills? Will they go to their doctor’s appointments or will they purchase groceries for the week?
Hardworking Delawareans cannot afford to shoulder these massive price hikes, and they shouldn’t have to. We, along with Delaware’s other federal and state leaders, have been doing everything we can to save families from higher health care costs, while investing in primary care, improving competition and enhancing coverage. Meanwhile, Republicans in the House of Representatives have been missing in action for over a month, and President Donald Trump has been focused on building a ballroom at the White House. Addressing this crisis simply requires Republicans to come back to work and get serious about helping the American people.
Delaware is a state of neighbors. We will continue looking out for one another, so nobody gets left behind. These times are tough, but Delawareans are tougher.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
