At Roundtable, Congresswoman Lee, Southern Nevadans Share Devastating Impacts of Rising Health Care Costs
WATCH AND DOWNLOAD VIDEO OF ROUNDTABLE HERE
LAS VEGAS, NV – Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) joined local families, health care providers, and advocates to highlight how the looming expiration of ACA tax credits would continue to raise costs, hurt families, and destroy jobs in southern Nevada.
“Republicans in Washington refuse to return to the table to reopen the government and address the health care crisis facing millions of Americans. Their decision to take away the ACA tax credits will cost Nevada over a thousand health care jobs, exacerbating our state's health care provider shortage,” said Congresswoman Susie Lee. “Today I heard from families, advocates, and health care providers who know all too well how these cuts and skyrocketing costs will affect our community. I’m fighting to protect these credits, because no Nevadans should have to watch their health care costs skyrocket.”
Congresswoman Lee was joined by President of the Nevada Association of Nurse Anesthetists Brian Hansen; Heather Doto, an employee at a nonprofit who depends on the ACA Premium Tax Credits to afford health care; and Chair of the Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities Anna Binder.
“On paper, some of these look like potentially small budget cuts, but in real life, at the bedside, they’re devastating to families. When coverage disappears, people delay care—they cancel needed surgeries, they cancel or skip follow-up appointments, they wait until their condition becomes an emergency. And by then, treatment is harder, it’s much riskier, and it’s the most expensive time to be having this care.” said President of the Nevada Association of Nurse Anesthetists Brian Hansen. “And who bears this cost? Patients do, hospitals do, and ultimately, all of us bear that cost. I’ve seen firsthand, time-sensitive surgeries for cancer delayed because of insurance issues. Patients shouldn’t have to choose between potentially dying or financial ruin because of insurance. Health care is not, or should not be, a Republican or Democrat issue, because while costs go up and coverage goes down, the strain falls hardest on the people and providers still at the bedside.”
“One of my sons requires a lot of hospitalizations that used to absolutely devastate us—we would go into debt, sometimes $60[,000]-80,000 a year just trying to get acute care for him. After ACA, those costs dropped to about $3,000 an intake visit for us. His medications used to cost us anywhere between $4[00] and $7[00]-800 a month. After ACA it dropped to below $150 a month. With the ACA changes, we were able to make a choice as a family for me to stay home and be my children’s primary caregiver because we had affordable care. The thought of those going away for us is so devastating,” said Chair of the Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities Anna Binder. “Nevada already faces a severe shortage of behavioral health and autism providers. If ACA protections are weakened, it will put even greater strain on an already struggling workforce leading to longer wait lists, families driving hours for care, lost progress as therapy hours are cut, increased behavioral and mental health crises. Schools being forced to fill gaps that they’re not resourced to handle. The ripple effect is real—when children lose access, more families struggle, more kids end up in emergency care, and the entire community bears that cost.”
“I pay out of pocket for my 8-month-old son’s insurance. My husband and my stepson are on a completely separate supplemental plan that’s lower quality and still extremely expensive. Every month, we juggle multiple premiums just to make sure everyone in our home has coverage, and that’s a constant struggle. We depend on the Affordable Care Act to make my son’s insurance affordable. If that credit is reduced or eliminated, our costs would rise dramatically and we’d be forced to make impossible decisions” said Heather Doto, a worker at a nonprofit who depends on the ACA Premium Tax Credits to afford health care. “I also live with a chronic illness that increases my risk for serious conditions like cancer and diabetes. It also affects my heart and overall health, and I rely on daily medication and medical care to manage it. Without insurance, that care could be completely out of reach. I would have to prioritize my children’s coverage over my own, despite my chronic illness and the medications I depend on. And I feel like that’s not a choice any parent should have to make. We’re only one policy decision away from losing everything that’s keeping us stable.”
Medicaid in Nevada:
- Nevada Medicaid data can be found HERE.
- Over 700,000 Nevadans receive health care coverage through Medicaid.
- Medicaid is not a controversial program—three quarters of Americans support it, including 63% of Republicans, 87% of Democrats, and 81% of Independents.
ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credits in Nevada:
- Washington Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill failed to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits that help 85,000 Nevadans afford their health care—30,000 of whom live in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District.
- On top of expiring ACA tax credits, the average premium rate increased by 26% for plans on Nevada’s ACA exchange (Nevada Health Link).
- If Congress allows the ACA tax credits to expire:
- Marketplace enrollees will pay $335 billion in higher premiums over the next ten years.
- Families who receive ACA tax credits will see an average tax increase of $4,051 in 2027.
- A 60-year-old couple in NV-03 earning about $80,000/year would see their premiums increase by more than $12,000 (a 178% increase).
- A family of four earning $64,000 would see their premiums increase by over $2,500 (a 191% increase)
- As a result of these tax credits, nearly nine out of 10 Nevadans who enrolled in insurance through Nevada Health Link were eligible to receive financial support to help bring down the cost of monthly premiums.
- Nevada is projected to lose an estimated 1,300 health care jobs if Republicans in Washington do not extend the ACA tax credits.
Congresswoman Lee has continued to sound the alarm on the health care crisis facing Nevada since Republicans in Washington took away tax credits that 30,000 southern Nevadans depend on to afford their health insurance. Without these credits, costs for families could rise by nearly 200%.
Instead of supporting legislation to protect health care and open the government, House Republicans have refused to return to Washington for over a month, forcing the longest full government shutdown in American history. Congresswoman Lee has continued to call on Republicans to come back to D.C. to address the health care crisis and prevent costs from increasing for all Americans.
###