Nearly 500,000 Pennsylvanians who don’t receive health care through an employer or who own a small business use the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace to purchase insurance. With the expiration of the federal program, some will lose their eligibility for tax credits, plus face premiums that may double the cost of insurance.
“That’s harsh for families and individuals already facing cuts in safety net programs for nutrition, housing and heating,” said LAMPa Director Tracey DePasquale. “It’s especially devastating for people with chronic health conditions, who we already know are struggling because we see them in our congregations and communities and care for them through the ministries of the church.”
According to Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN), these increases could force hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians to make painful choices such as dropping down to a plan with far less coverage, seeing the doctor less, rationing necessary medications, or dropping their coverage altogether.
“For people living with diseases like cancer or diabetes, this could be the difference between getting lifesaving treatment or going without it,” said PHAN Executive Director Antoinette Kraus. If you need help accessing health insurance, or if you are unsure of your options, you can contact the PHAN helpline here: Get Help – Pennsylvania Health Access Network
This year’s insurance enrollment period is especially critical. Affordable Care Act expanded premium tax credits are set to expire on December 31. These enhanced credits have helped lower costs for millions nationwide since 2021, but Congress has not extended them for 2026. Nationally, expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits is estimated to more than double what subsidized enrollees currently pay annually for premiums. People who make around $62,600 a year or more (around $84,600 for a couple) won’t qualify for tax credits. Now, for example, a 60-year-old married couple in York County with $82,000 in annual income will see their yearly premium drastically increase from $7,032 to $35,712 per year according to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.
Ensuring that our neighbors in Pennsylvania can afford and access quality health care is a core priority for LAMPa, which is part of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network. Lutherans advocated to establish Medicaid expansion in the Commonwealth. We continue advocating to make quality health care affordable and accessible by working to advance proposals to prevent medical debt, lower prescription drug costs, increase transparency in pricing, and require oversight of hospital mergers to ensure that merging does not limit access or raise costs for communities.
We also want to hear from you. If health care costs or challenges accessing care are affecting you or your community, we invite you to share your story with us. Your lived experiences strengthen our advocacy and help shape policy change rooted in real needs. Please email us at LAMPa@lutheranadvocacypa.org with HEALTH CARE in the subject line, and we will be in touch.
According to the ELCA’s Social Statement on Healthcare (2003), “Health is central to our well-being, vital to relationships, and helps us live out our vocations in family, work, and community. Caring for one’s own health is a matter of human necessity and good stewardship. Caring for the health of others expresses both love for our neighbor and responsibility for a just society. As a personal and social responsibility, health care is a shared endeavor.”
