SAN ANTONIO – Congress remains split on whether to keep the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits even after President Donald Trump signed a spending bill to end the recordgovernment shutdown.
Here’s how that could impact your wallet.
Imagine your healthcare plan costs $600 a month.
With the boosted tax credit, you might only pay $250 a month, and if that credit goes away, you would have to pay the full $600.
Many people could see big increases in their monthly bills.
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Democrats have been pushing for Congress to extend the credits to keep those increases from happening, but Republicans have pushed back.
“Am I going to guarantee a vote on ACA, unreformed, COVID-era subsidies that is just a boondoggle to insurance companies and robs the taxpayer? We got a lot of work to do on that,” said House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson, a Republican.
“It’s a betrayal of working people who are seeing their health insurance premiums rise, double and triple,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat.
The tax credit was boosted during the COVID-19 pandemic response through President Joe Biden’s big energy and health care bill, and it’s set to expire at the end of December. Without it, premiums on average will more than double for millions of Americans.
More than 2 million people would lose health insurance coverage altogether next year, the Congressional Budget Office projected.
It’s unclear whether the parties will find any common ground on health care before the December vote in the Senate. Johnson has said he will not commit to bringing it up in his chamber.
With many people facing uncertainty, Baptist Health System is taking action to help the community.
Baptist Health System is now providing free counseling and guidance to anyone who needs help filling out the necessary paperwork so they don’t lose the opportunity to be covered by insurance, a spokesperson told KSAT.
“For those who need additional help figuring out which ACA Health Plan is the best for them, Baptist Health System is providing certified application counselors at all San Antonio hospital locations,” the spokesperson said.
Find more information online, or you can call Baptist Health System at 210-202-5849 to talk with a certified application counselor during normal business hours.
In the meantime, if you’re experiencing any troubles or see an astronomical surge in your medical bills or insurance, reach out to KSAT’s Madalynn Lambert at mlambert@ksat.com.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.