Most in U.S., OH back extending ACA subsidies

By Farah Siddiqi

A new poll found more than three-quarters of people say they want Congress to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of this year.

About 583,000 Ohioans buy health insurance through the state's marketplace, putting the state among those at highest risk if the enhanced tax credits expire.

Ashley Kirzinger, director of survey methodology and associate director of public opinion and survey research for the nonpartisan health policy research organization KFF, which conducted the survey, said with open enrollment right around the corner, many people do not realize the tax credits have an expiration date.

"When we ask people who purchase this type of coverage, 'What would you do if your premiums nearly doubled?' four in 10 said that they would go without health coverage," Kirzinger reported.

Losing the extra help would increase premiums by an average of more than 100%, from around $800 a month this year to $1,900 a month in 2026. About 24 million Americans had Affordable Care Act marketplace health coverage as of April, a record high for the fourth year in a row, according to federal data.

Kirzinger added people who do not get benefits through an employer or federal programs like Medicaid or Medicare are struggling the most to afford health care.

"This is something that has bipartisan support," Kirzinger pointed out. "Majorities of Democrats, Independents and Republicans all want to see the federal government extend these subsidies for people who buy their own coverage."

According to the poll, more than eight in 10 people say they would be concerned about the expiration of the tax credits if they heard health coverage would become unaffordable for many people who buy their own insurance.