West Virginia faces potential healthcare crisis as pandemic tax credits set to expire
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — The Affordable Care Act changed the landscape of health insurance for Americans 15 years ago and since then, many Americans are still getting help when it comes to finding coverage.
Almost 70,000 West Virginians utilize this as well, but West Virginia Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, said these numbers could drop if tax credits given out during the pandemic expire at the end of the year.
“By failing to extend these tax credits in the president’s bill, they put — just in West Virginia — nearly 70,000 people at risk of losing their healthcare,” Pushkin said.
Right now, West Virginia has the highest marketplace premiums. Without the subsidies, health and safety net policy analyst Rhonda Rogombe said these rates could skyrocket, especially for those in the Mountain State.
“Healthcare will become much more expensive across the country,” Rogombe said. “We are looking at an average increase of 133% or $1,400 on average and the estimates that we’ve seen show that we expect to lose 15,000 West Virginians from the program simply because they can no longer afford it.”
Pushkin doesn’t believe state leaders are willing to help West Virginians when it comes to fighting for lower dollar amounts.
“I don’t see a lot of willingness from the Republican supermajority or Gov. Morrisey to do anything at all about it,” he said. “It’s going to be a real problem for states like West Virginia.”
Rogombe is staying optimistic after hearing from those in Washington, D.C., who say they’re willing to put up a fight.
“We’re hearing whispers from Congress, including Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, that the Senate is considering finding ways to extend these tax credits ahead of open enrollment on Nov. 1,” she said.
However, there’s still a lot of uncertainty when it comes to the future. Rogombe hopes people won’t start neglecting their health in order to afford other essentials.
“When we limit access to health care that is affordable, and accessible people will many people will drop that so that they can keep other services,” she said. “Like keeping a roof over their head, keeping food and keeping their children’s mouths fed.”