After Republicans Refused to Extend Health Care Tax Credits, 150,000 Arizonans Could Go Without Coverage
TUCSON – In the wake of a government shutdown over which Republicans refused to extend health care tax credits, Arizonans are now facing skyhigh premium increases that will force as many as 150,000 Arizonans to go without health insurance in 2026.
In addition to Arizonans who will lose private insurance coverage, many more will lose coverage from Medicaid cuts enacted in the Republican Tax Law that Congressman Ciscomani voted for.
According to the Arizona Republic:
Open enrollment for federal Affordable Care Act health insurance started Nov. 1 but fewer Arizonans may sign up for 2026 plans because of higher prices that will be too costly for some people.
About 423,000 Arizonans signed up for ACA coverage for 2025, but with enhanced federal subsidies that help pay for coverage set to expire at the end of this year, Maldonado said that for some current enrollees that means "prices are going up quite a bit." One Scottsdale couple says their annual ACA costs are set to go up by $20,000, though they appear to be among a smaller group seeing such extreme sticker shock.
Some people will end up uninsured. Dr. Daniel Derksen, director of the University of Arizona's Center for Rural Health, estimates 125,000 to 150,000 more Arizonans will be without insurance in 2026 if the ACA's enhanced tax credits are allowed to expire.
‘We just had through [the Republican Tax Law] a huge tax credit essentially for people in the top income brackets,’ Derksen said. ‘This (enhanced ACA tax credits) is really for people in lower income brackets. It just makes sense to make it affordable. It makes no sense to throw 125,000 to 150,000 people off of health insurance.’
‘It kind of strains credulity to think we can't give a tax credit to people with lower incomes so that they can afford health insurance," Derksen said. ‘Whatever side of the aisle you are on, this is going to affect Democrats, Republicans and Independents.’”
“Congressman Ciscomani tells Arizonans he wants to lower health care costs, but just about every health care vote he's taken has either raised costs or forced Arizonans off of their coverage,” Honest Arizona Executive Director Andrea Moreno said. “He writes letters proving he knows Arizonans will suffer but then he sides with his Republican colleagues anyway. Congressman Ciscomani: do the right thing by supporting the Affordable Care Act discharge petition to lower health care costs and stop cutting Arizonans health care.”
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