Millions of Americans — thousands of them in the city — are facing much higher health care costs this year with the expiration of federal subsidies to the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

The change affects Americans who don’t get their health insurance from an employer and don’t qualify for Medicaid or Medicare.

What You Need To Know

  • Experts at the Community Service Society of New York say state health data shows nearly 43,000 New York State residents are facing a premium increase starting this month after COVID-era tax credits for the Affordable Care Act expired
  • Rebecca Boyden, a figure skating coach in Queens, says she’s frightened because her premium exploded and she’s unable to afford her health insurance this year

  • Cassaundra Howell, president and CEO of Public Health Solutions — the city’s largest public health nonprofit — says families are faced with the difficult decision of forgoing health insurance this year in order to have enough money for food and rent

In Flushing, Queens, young skaters at the World Ice Arena practiced a double loop jump, a combination spin and a flying layback spin. The teenagers were training for the State Games of America, and they all owe their moves to their coach, Rebecca Boyden.

“Definitely the most satisfying part is working with the kids, seeing the progress that they make every single day,” said Boyden, who’s been a figure skating coach for around 30 years.

While her students risk their health for athletic excellence, their coach says she won’t even have health insurance for herself for the rest of the year.

“My premium just exploded,” Boyden said. “I mean, I can’t even fathom the amount that I would have to pay every single month just for the premium of the healthcare, and that does not even actually get you healthcare coverage.”

Boyden is one of more than 20 million Americans enrolled in the Affordable Care Act who are seeing their premium costs rise by an average of more than 100% in 2026, according to an analysis by the healthcare research nonprofit KFF.

“The amount that I would have to pay every single year just to access healthcare is like 30% of my income, and I can’t — that’s outrageous, who can even do that?”

The reason for the surge: Congress and the White House let COVID-era tax credits sunset in the new year without taking action.

Experts at the Community Service Society of New York say state health data shows nearly 43,000 New York State residents are facing a premium increase starting this month. NY1 reached out to the White House about the concerns of those New Yorkers and also asked how the current administration is going to reform the current healthcare system so that everyday New Yorkers can afford their health insurance.

In a statement, Trump administration spokesman Kush Desai said: “The current system is not working to deliver health care at reasonable prices for everyday Americans. Democrats’ push to maintain these high prices by giving more money to insurance companies is not a real solution for President Trump.”

“The President has instead focused on lowering prescription drug costs by hammering out deals with pharmaceutical companies, as well as taking on waste, fraud and abuse in the system to deliver results for patients, and will continue to deliver policy solutions that lower costs in the healthcare market for the American people,” Desai said.

Cassaundra Howell is the president and CEO of Public Health Solutions — the city’s largest public health nonprofit — which provides services to the city’s most vulnerable populations, including low-income families.

“As a born and raised Bronx native, this is extremely detrimental for people,” Howell said. “When someone has to decide between healthcare and whether or not they’re going to be able to pay their rent, whether or not they’re going to be able to pay their car note so that they can get to work. These are critical things and basic needs of health. We just cannot afford to remove health care from individuals as options,” Howell said.

Boyden said she is proud her students are qualified to represent New York for State Games of America, and knows that’s stressful for them.

She’s managing her own stress, knowing she’s healthy, but not happy about skating on thin ice without health insurance roughly a decade from retiring.

“I’m trying to max out my retirement savings, so the idea of diverting all of that money to a health insurance premium is just, that’s really frightening — what am I gonna work until I’m 80? No, I can’t do that,” she said.

Democrats forced a 43-day government shutdown over the issue, and moderate Republicans called for a fix to help their 2026 reelection campaigns — but so far, there has been no solution.