Gov. Evers Delivers Radio Address on Skyrocketing Healthcare Premiumsfor Wisconsinites in 2026 if Republicans Fail to Extend Affordable Care ActTax Credits

Audio File of Radio Address.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered his weekly radio address highlighting newly released 2026 plan year rates for Wisconsin’s individual marketplace that show healthcare coverage costs are expected to skyrocket for Wisconsinites if President Donald J. Trump and Republicans in Congress fail to extend the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits. Based on increased rates approved by the Trump Administration for the 2026 plan year, combined with the significant consequences of Congressional Republicans failing to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, many Wisconsinites and their families will see their premiums double, with some seniors seeing an increase of over $30,000 per year.

The governor’s radio address comes on Day 30 of the federal government shutdown as Congressional Republicans have refused for weeks to negotiate with Democrats to extend Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year even as Wisconsinites and Americans across the country are set to sign up for healthcare coverage during the 2026 Open Enrollment period starting later this week on November 1. The Affordable Care Act tax credits have helped make healthcare coverage more affordable for millions of Americans. According to KFF, 78 percent of Americans and nearly 60 percent of Republicans support extending the tax credits, and according to the Center for American Progress, relative to original premium tax credits, the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced tax credits lowered marketplace premiums by an average of 44 percent for millions last year.

How much Wisconsinites’ healthcare coverage costs will increase varies depending on age, income, plan selection, and available insurers in each county, but many Wisconsinites will see their premiums increase significantly, with seniors and middle-class families seeing some of the largest increases if Republicans in Congress do not extend enhanced tax credits under the Affordable Care Act.

The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance released several scenarios illustrating the enormous out-of-pocket costs Wisconsinites will see on a monthly and annual basis based on example ages, incomes, and counties of residence. Those scenarios, as well as additional information on what these rate increases mean for Wisconsin families and the governor’s efforts to protect healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act, are available here.

During the last Open Enrollment Period in 2024, a record-setting 313,579 Wisconsinites signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act on the individual marketplace. Thanks to the efforts of U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wisconsin), and U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisconsin) to create and continue the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced tax credits, healthcare coverage has been more affordable than ever. During the last enrollment period, 277,175 of the 313,579 enrollees qualified for premium subsidies, with an average premium subsidy of $664 per month across all Wisconsin counties.

According to KFF, of the over 24 million Americans enrolled through the Affordable Care Act, a vast majority receive an enhanced premium tax credit, and 70 percent of those who purchase their own insurance say they would not be able to afford premiums if the tax credits go away. Further, of those who purchase their own insurance, 40 percent report that they would expect to be priced out from healthcare coverage entirely and become uninsured. In all, without federal action, an estimated 20 million Americans are facing significant premium increases, and nearly 4 million Americans will be uninsured by 2027.

Hey there, folks! Governor Tony Evers here.

With economic uncertainty and prices going up on everything from groceries to school supplies, we should be working to make healthcare more affordable and more accessible—not making it more expensive and harder for folks to get the healthcare they need.

Unfortunately, President Trump and Congressional Republicans would rather shut down the government than work together with Democrats to do that.

The government has been shut down for over 20 days now because Republicans refuse to work with Democrats to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits that help make healthcare more affordable for millions of Americans.

And without these enhanced tax credits, healthcare premiums for Wisconsinites are going to skyrocket. Period.

Many Wisconsinites will see their premiums double. Some will see staggering increases over $30,000 per year. Here are just a few examples of what people are going to see:

• A middle-class family of four in Wausau will see their premium go from $886 a month to over $2,300 a month.

• A 60-year-old couple in Rice Lake, making about $85,000 a year could see their premium skyrocket 800 percent. That’s an annual increase of over $30,000 in costs.

• A 26-year-old in Eau Claire, who makes $48,000 a year and is no longer eligible for their parent’s insurance, would see their premium double, costing them an additional $2,000 a year.

If Congress doesn’t act, healthcare coverage will be so expensive, many Wisconsinites may be forced to go without healthcare at all.

Folks, open enrollment is just days away. Republicans in Congress must work across the aisle to end the government shutdown and prevent Wisconsinites from seeing skyrocketing healthcare costs this next year.

Get to work. Let’s get this done. Thank you.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.