Joanna Rosenhein, Director Of Campaigns at the Pennsylvania Health Access Network: “[Pennsylvania Families are] in an Impossible Situation Either Way … They’re Either Paying a Really High Monthly Premium for a High-Deductible Plan or They Might Choose To Go Without Coverage”

April 9, 2026

PENNSYLVANIA - New reporting this week from WHYY highlights the growing number of Pennsylvanians dropping their marketplace health coverage due to higher costs after the expiration of critical health care tax credits.

"After losing my thyroid to cancer, I rely on the marketplace for my life-saving medical care. Last year, I paid $393/month. Since my congressman and his colleagues let these health care tax credits expire, my monthly premium is now $1,067 - nearly three times higher. How am I supposed to afford this?” said Tracy of Emmaus. "I’ve worked since I was thirteen years old. I should be enjoying my golden years, not scraping by to afford the care that keeps me alive. Congressman Mackenzie needs to restore these tax credits for the good of his constituents like me and the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians who are struggling to afford their care.”

Despite warnings from experts and advocates, Congressmen Ryan Mackenzie, Rob Bresnahan, and Scott Perry prioritized expanding tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy over extending expiring health care tax credits for their constituents, letting them expire at the end of last year.

Without these tax credits, Pennie costs increased by an average of 102% across Pennsylvania. Premiums have jumped by an average of 84% in PA-08,  178% in PA-07, and 180% in PA-10 - the largest district-wide average premium increase across the Commonwealth. Following the end of Pennsylvania’s open enrollment period, Pennie announced in February that 85,000 enrollees - nearly 1 in 5 - were unable to keep their health plan in 2026 due to rising costs. Just two months later, that number has risen by over 40% and continues growing.

WHYY: 120,000 Pennsylvanians have dropped ACA health insurance since the loss of federal subsidies

• …Cassidy, who lives just outside Reading, Pennsylvania, with her husband and two young children, is newly uninsured. She’s among 120,000 Pennsylvanians – and counting – who have cancelled their 2026 health insurance through the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace since November.

• Facing mortgage payments, rising costs of utilities, groceries, child care and other daily expenses, Cassidy said dropping her health insurance was the only option her family had left, even if it makes them vulnerable to unexpected medical bills or debt.

• A record number of people were enrolled in health insurance through Pennie, Pennsylvania’s ACA marketplace, in 2025. State officials largely credit the federal enhanced premium tax credits, which Congress passed in 2021 along with pandemic relief funds. However, Congress did not renew the additional subsidies before Dec. 31, causing sticker shock during annual open enrollment this winter.

• The number of insurance cancellations are significant among people ages 26 through 44, according to Pennie data. Residents between the ages of 55 to 64 account for the highest number of cancellations, which includes people who are almost eligible for Medicare insurance.

• More people becoming uninsured should be a concern for everyone, Rosenhein said. When people seek treatment at hospitals without insurance, the care often goes unpaid and hospitals absorb the costs, which she said could be challenging for facilities that are already struggling to provide emergency care and other services.

• “Not only are people dropping coverage overall, we’re also seeing a lot of folks drop down to higher deductible catastrophic plans or bronze plans with really high deductibles,” Rosenhein said. “And we’re very concerned those people will be at risk of medical debt if they have an emergency situation or if they get diagnosed with cancer or another health condition.”

###