Rockland County Advocate Highlights Healthcare Insurance Stakes Amid ACA Tax Credit Expiration

Tracey Obenauer’s experience with a rare cancer diagnosis and the subsequent financial hardships highlights the critical role of health insurance coverage, particularly under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Following her diagnosis in 2011 and numerous surgeries, she faced significant challenges affording care before gaining eligibility for ACA plans. When she lost her employer-sponsored insurance and COBRA coverage, which excluded pre-existing conditions, Obenauer was unable to afford basic medical care, impacting her and her children's health coverage. The ACA’s implementation enabled Obenauer to regain access to affordable health insurance, facilitating necessary preventive care and easing financial anxiety for her family. However, the impending expiration of enhanced ACA premium tax credits, set for December 15, 2023, threatens to significantly increase premiums for many New Yorkers, including residents of Rockland County. This situation has prompted advocacy efforts urging legislative action to extend these tax credits. Republican Senators Mike Crapo and Bill Cassidy proposed an alternative bill offering direct deposits into health savings accounts instead of extending the enhanced ACA tax credits. This proposal would not address the rising premiums many insured under the ACA are facing. Concurrently, a Democratic proposal seeks a three-year extension of the ACA tax credits, with Senate votes scheduled to decide on these competing measures. Obenauer’s personal story underscores broader insurance market and regulatory issues, such as the challenges faced by those with pre-existing conditions prior to the ACA, the impact of disability and medical crises on insurance access, and the role of government programs like Social Security Disability and Medicare. The expirations also affect the nearly half a million New Yorkers at risk of losing affordable coverage. The advocacy around the ACA tax credits involves bipartisan support efforts, exemplified by a discharge petition signed by 214 members and seeking a few more Republican votes to force a vote protecting coverage affordability. The emphasis remains on the economic realities of healthcare access and insurance stability rather than political divisions, focusing on preventing premium hikes that could lead to coverage loss for vulnerable populations.