West Virginians who get their health coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Marketplace are beginning to see just how much Congress’ inaction will cost them next year. As the state with the highest commercial health care costs in the country, West Virginia is among the states most impacted if Congress fails to extend the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits that help make health coverage affordable for households who do not qualify for insurance through an employer, Medicare, or Medicaid. Approximately 60,000 West Virginians are beginning to receive notice of huge premium spikes, which will exacerbate health care costs for families already feeling the brunt of rising costs from inflation and is expected to result in many forgoing health coverage altogether.
Earlier this week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) opened up the window shopping function on healthcare.gov, the ACA Marketplace, which allows consumers and the public to see for the first time apples-to-apples comparisons of 2025 health insurance premiums for households-when enhanced subsidies were still in effect-and 2026 health insurance premiums without those subsidies in effect, as Congress thus far has failed to act to extend them.
The WVCBP’s analysis found that households of all sizes and incomes will see their monthly insurance premiums spike dramatically, in some cases increasing ten-fold for the same benchmark plan in 2026. On average, West Virginia households will see their premiums more than double, increasing by 133 percent. Those most impacted are older households (between 60-64 years old) and those above 400 percent of the federal poverty level, who would see their subsidies end entirely.
It’s not too late for Congress to act to extend these subsidies and keep health coverage affordable for tens of thousands of West Virginians. But with open enrollment beginning on November 1 and ending on December 15, every day wasted means more and more West Virginians and Americans will make painful choices to forgo their health coverage altogether.
Join us and urge your members of Congress to extend these subsidies today and give families the peace of mind they need here.
