BOISE, Idaho — The longest government shutdown in U.S. history has ended, but Congress did not extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that have kept healthcare premiums low for millions of Americans. For one Treasure Valley mother, the shutdown’s end brings more financial uncertainty – not less.
Watch: How expiring ACA subsidies are impacting Idaho families
For Alice Nelson of Nampa, the shutdown’s conclusion was not a relief. She said it was another reminder that her family’s insurance premiums could soon spike.
“Since those ACA benefits aren't extended, I don't know where we're going to be or what we're going to do,” Nelson said.
Nelson said her family first enrolled in an ACA plan when premiums were still far out of reach. “When we got on Obama care, it was still $600 or something per month we couldn't afford,” she said. “And then… it would go all the way down to $100 something a month.”
She said she relies on regular medical care, from medication to routine screenings – care she worries she will no longer be able to afford without the subsidies.
“I won't be able to, you know, I have a thyroid issue and high blood pressure and so I need medication and I have to see my doctor regularly just to keep, keep that up,” she said.
Nelson added that even basic cancer screenings were unaffordable before her family had subsidized insurance. “I didn't even get mammograms until we got insurance, we just couldn't afford to do it,” she said.
Her daughters, who work jobs without employer-provided healthcare, are also at risk of losing access.
“Without that, they can't afford it on the jobs that they have,” Nelson said.
Angela Bangs, a family medicine physician in Boise, said she is hearing the same fears from patients across the Treasure Valley.
“People are just not sure that they're going to be able to afford health insurance anymore… and that can be really difficult decisions for families that I take care of,” Bangs said.
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She said losing coverage forces families to delay care until medical issues escalate. “Once you lose health insurance your primary doctor becomes the emergency department… health conditions continue to get worse generally,” she said.
Nelson said the financial uncertainty is likely to affect households across Idaho. “This is going to affect you or someone you know, your neighbor, a co-worker…” she said.
For now, Nelson is waiting to see what her new premium will be and hoping Congress acts before more families are priced out of basic care. Health experts advise anyone using the ACA exchange to review their plan immediately as open enrollment continues.
