Two Montana health research groups are warning that health insurance premiums through the Affordable Care Act marketplace could skyrocket if enhanced subsidies are not extended.<\/p>\n
One side says Congress needs to handle the enhanced subsidies now.<\/p>\n
Watch the debate below:<\/b><\/p>\n
Congressional budget delays stir debate about healthcare subsidies<\/p>\n
The other says there is time until the end of the year.<\/p>\n
If Congress does not extend those subsidies, some say the premium increases could double, triple, and even quadruple.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s expensive to get insurance now as it is,\u201d said Heather O’Loughlin, executive director for the Montana Budget and Policy Center<\/a> in Helena.<\/p>\n A Cato Institute article<\/a> makes reference to a Pargaon Health institute<\/a> report that states:<\/p>\n \u201cMost premium tax credits are paid in advance, directly to insurance companies, to lower the monthly premium bill. These direct subsidies allow the insurance company to shift a vast majority of rising premiums onto taxpayers.\u201d<\/p>\n And an American Enterprise Institute article <\/a>states: \u201cThe healthcare debate is too focused on expanding coverage and insufficiently focused on reducing health-care spending.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Loughlin is watching Congress closely, waiting to see what the fallout will be if subsidies are dropped.<\/p>\n \u201cWith these increased costs, we’re worried about a significant loss of healthcare coverage and increase in uninsured rate over time,” she said.<\/p>\n The center is looking at insurance company costs, for example, for a family of four with two young children.<\/p>\n \u201cA silver plan, they’d be paying roughly $417 a month for the entire family this year,\u201d O\u2019Loughlin said. \u201cWithout those enhanced premium tax credits and estimated increased rate costs, that same family would be paying over $1,000 a month.\u2019<\/p>\n