Thousands of Alaskans are at risk of losing access to affordable health care if Congress doesn’t act soon.
For families across the state, enhanced premium tax credits (ePTCs) have been a lifeline. They’ve made health care more affordable and helped people stay covered during uncertain times. If these credits expire, health care costs will sharply rise, and the impact will be felt in every corner of Alaska.
This isn’t about policy; it’s about real people. Parents trying to keep their kids healthy. Young adults just starting out. Neighbors managing chronic diseases. Without action, we risk pushing health care out of reach for those who need it most.
At Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska, we’ve heard first hand from our members about how these credits have changed their lives. Their voices make it clear how high the stakes are for so many Alaskans.
Alaskans like Laura, a small business owner who said ePTCs have transformed her family’s relationship to the health care system.
“The ePTC tax credits have literally made it possible for my family of four to have health insurance. We went years without good health care. We were paying cash when we were sick and avoiding preventive health visits because we had no insurance … Now that we have primary care doctors, we are healthier and staying out of the ER.”
Alaskans such as Paul, who aren’t eligible for government programs like Medicaid and Medicare, have also benefitted from the ePTCs, and are in danger of falling through the cracks if these credits are allowed to expire.
“I am retired on a limited income, but not yet old enough for Medicare. I must purchase health care through the marketplace, and the health care subsidies have made access to the coverage affordable. I am not sure what I will do or how I will afford coverage if these subsidies were to go away.”
Jonathan told us how EPTCs have made coverage affordable for his family of five, a situation he doesn’t think will remain true if these credits are allowed to expire.
“My son had a scary neurological event last summer that has required a lot of testing and specialist visits. Thanks to the health care subsidies, we have been able to afford insurance the last few years and get him the care he needed. Now he’s doing great and pitching in his Little League tournament … But if the new changes go into effect, I’m pretty sure we won’t be able to afford health care coverage here in Alaska next year.”
For so many Alaskans in every line of work and region, EPTCs have made the difference between having health insurance and going without. Alaskan legislators from both sides of the aisle understand this — it’s what drove the passage of bipartisan resolutions from the state House and Senate earlier this year urging the state’s congressional delegation to work to extend these credits.
Time is running out for Congress to do the right thing and renew ePTCs, keeping health care more affordable for thousands of Alaskans and millions more people nationwide. But it’s not too late to make your voice heard. Contact your member of Congress today and let them know that allowing ePTCs to expire is the wrong choice for Alaska.
Kristin Meadows is general manager and vice president of the individual market for Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska. The company and its predecessors have operated in Alaska since 1952.
