Press Release
With Premium Costs Expected to Rise, this is What Wisconsinites Could be Paying During Novembers Open Enrollment Period
MADISON, Wis. — With the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services expected to release new numbers this week detailing how much ACA premiums will increase if Republicans cut this funding from their budget, Wisconsinites across the state are bracing for impact. Currently, the average cost of an ACA premium ranges from $377 to $540 depending on the extent of coverage. See below for:
- What possible premium increases look like
- What the Republican delegation has said about the shutdown
- What Republicans have said about the Affordable Care Act
- OBBB Medicaid Cut Impacts by district
Wisconsinites on the ACA: 313,579 [01/17/25, CMS]
Americans on the ACA: 24,166,491 [01/17/25 CMS]
| TYPE of ACA COVERAGE | Average Lowest-Cost Bronze Premium | Average Lowest-Cost Silver Premium” | Average Benchmark Premium | Average Lowest-Cost Gold Premium |
| AVERAGE COST: | $377 | $487 | $495 | $540 |
| % increase if premiums go up +$100 a month | +26.5% | +20.5% | +20% | +18.5% |
| % increase if premiums go up +$250 a month | +66% | +51% | +50.5% | +46% |
| % increase if premiums go up +$400 a month | +106% | +82% | +81% | +75% |
| % increase if premiums go up +$550 a month | +146% | +113% | +111% | +1-2% |
| CD | Representative | On the Affordable Care Act | On the Government Shutdown |
| #1 | Bryan Steil | Steil In 2018: “Obamacare Has Failed.” “Obamacare has failed. Obamacare has made healthcare less affordable and is based on broken promises ‘You can keep your plan’. #WI01Debate” [Twitter, 10/23/18] | Steil: “The Democratic Proposal Simply Extending These Programs With No Reforms Is A Terrible Idea. They’re Incredibly Expensive. They’re Unproductive.” STEIL: “Well, what I have said is that this program is ripe with waste, fraud, and abuse. And so the Democratic proposal simply extending these programs with no reforms is a terrible idea. They’re incredibly expensive. They’re unproductive.” [ABC, NewsLive, 10/1/25] |
| #3 | Derrick Van Orden | Van Orden 2020 Campaign Website: “In order to lower healthcare costs, the last vestiges of the disastrous Obama Care must be removed, and the free market must set prices.” “Healthcare[.] In order to lower healthcare costs, the last vestiges of the disastrous Obama Care must be removed, and the free market must set prices. Transparency in pricing is a key component of this effort. President Trump has initiated a plan to lower prescription drug costs by leveling the playing field. This is essential so that our citizens have access to affordable medications to allow them to live more prosperous and healthy lives” [Van Orden For Congress, 5/3/20] | Van Orden Called Extending ACA Subsidies A “Partisan Demand” He Would : “Mak[e] Sure Wisconsin Families Don’t Pay The Price For” Press Release: “‘I remain focused on keeping the government open and making sure Wisconsin families don’t pay the price for their liberal agenda. Our offices in D.C. and across the district will continue providing full constituent services. We will not let Schumer’s shutdown stop us from delivering for Wisconsinites.’ Democrats’ Partisan Demands: $1.5 trillion in partisan demands for a four-week extension, including: […] Permanently extending Biden’s COVID-era Obamacare subsidies.” [Office of Rep. Derrick Van Orden, press release, 10/1/25] |
| #5 | Scott Fitzgerald | Fitzgerald Cheered In 2016 When A Federal Judge Ruled Against Cost-Sharing Subsidies In The ACA. “Finally some good news in the long saga of Obamacare problems. The Affordable Care act is simply not affordable .https://t.co/ochhd8Jq39” [Twitter, 5/12/16] | Fitzgerald Called For Letting COVID-Era Subsidies Expire And Called Them A “Credit Scheme” “Democrats are demanding billions of dollars to prop up Obamacare in exchange for their votes to open the government. I’m open to a real conversation about reforming our healthcare system, but not without serious changes to the existing system.” [Twitter, 10/9/25] |
| #6 | Glenn Grothman | Grothman: “I Support Repealing And Replacing Obamacare With A More Free-Market System” From Grothmann.house.gov: “The new taxes, mandates, higher premiums and the marriage and work penalties found in Obamacare are unfair and have made it difficult for Wisconsin families to make ends meet. I support repealing and replacing Obamacare with a more free-market system, while keeping parts of Obamacare that make sense, like protecting coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions.” [Grothmann.house.gov, n.d.] | CBS58: “Glenn Grothman Told CBS 58 From His Fond Du Lac Office Wednesday He Believed Talks About Extending The Health Care Credits Should Not Be Tied To Any Short-Term Extension Of Government Funding.” From CBS58: “GOP Congressman Glenn Grothman told CBS 58 from his Fond du Lac office Wednesday he believed talks about extending the health care credits should not be tied to any short-term extension of government funding. ‘This is not about where we wind up in a negotiation. The question now is, ‘Are we gonna shut down the government while we negotiate?’ he said. ‘Obviously, there are gonna be many areas of disagreement between Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans as we negotiate.’” [CBS58, 10/1/25] |
| #7 | Tom Tiffany | Tiffany: “I Would Go Back To Two Major Bills That Are Over A Decade Old Now, One Being Obamacare, The Other One Being Dodd Frank, We See Probably The Least Entrepreneurship That Has Happened In The Healthcare And Finance Banking Industries That We’ve Seen In Decades” TIFFANY: “The barriers to entry that have been built here in Washington, DC over the last few decades are significant. And I would go back to two major bills that are over a decade old now, one being Obamacare, the other one being Dodd Frank, we see probably the least entrepreneurship that has happened in the healthcare and finance banking industries that we’ve seen In decades, because the barriers to entry are so high, and I sure hope that you will respect that, that you while building these regulations out here, while passing laws, as happened over a decade ago in regards to Obamacare and Dodd Frank, it has harmed The rest of America. It’s harmed entrepreneurs.” [Lina Khan Confirmation Hearing, 8/19/23] | Tiffany On Voting To Continue ACA Subsidies During The Government Shutdown: “We Can’t Do That” TIFFANY: “We’re just saying we’ve got a clean bill before you don’t add other stuff to it. And they’re saying, as they always do, Democrats demand more spending, and in this case, as you said, another trillion and a half in spending. We can’t do that because it’ll add to inflation and the high cost of living. I mean, $1 from five years ago is only worth 80 cents now, and it’s because of the blowout in spending. We can’t do that again. So if you want the troops paid, if you want the government open and all the rest Democrats in the Senate simply vote for the continuing resolution, and all those things will happen.” [WTAQ, Schroeder Show, 10/11/25] |
| #8 | Tony Wied | Wied: I Think We Need To Take A Hard Look At It.” “I continue to see a rise in premiums and less payments from my insurance companies. So it is something that I’m very interested in. And I think we need to. I would never do anything to pull that, but I would be in favor of reducing costs for people in some way and I think we need to take a hard look at it.” [WLUK, 10/23/24] | Wied: “What The Democrats Did While They Were In Majority, Was Did A Five Year. And That Expires. It Was Set To Expire, Because It Was Meant To Be Temporary. And Here They Are Hijacking Our Government Trying To Extend It And Just Increase Spending.” TONY WIED: “I don’t think they want it to work. You know, I even if you look at, you know, when they’re talking about the tax the tax credits and the things that are expiring, that is that the Democratic Party did that and they put it- it was temporary during the covid era, and those tax provisions and those credits that really just go to health insurance companies and have been enriching health insurance companies. But what the Democrats did while they were in majority, was did a five year. And that expires. It was set to expire, because it was meant to be temporary. And here they are hijacking our government trying to extend it and just increase spending. But all along, the regular people continue to pay more for health insurance.” [WTAQ, Schroeder Show, 10/4/25] |
| U.S. Sen. | Ron Johnson | 2022 Axios Headline: “Johnson: GOP Should Be Ready To Repeal Obamacare If They Take Control In 2024” From Axios: “Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said in an interview Monday that the GOP should repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, if Republicans retake control of the White House and Congress in 2024.” [Axios, 3/7/22] | Johnson Says That Anyone Who Wants To Extend Subsidies “Wants To Perpetuate Massive Fraud”. JOHNSON: “First of all, what they’re talking about now is the ACA subsidies, the temporary covid ACA subsidies. Remember, the reason why insurance is so expensive for the individual market is because of the faulty design of Obamacare. Obamacare is causing those 20 million people on the individual markets to pay a whole lot more. So basically we did is, we took away any kind of participation in those Obamacare premiums from millions of people, which has led to massive fraud. You probably got about 12 million people on those ACA exchanges that never even use health care. Best estimates, maybe half don’t even realize they’re signed up for health care, because you have unscrupulous agents and brokers who are just signing people up. Because all you need is a name and a birthday. You sign somebody up, they get the commission. The insurance companies get them taxpayer money, and nobody ever does. There’s 10s of billion dollars of fraud. So anybody who wants to extend these, these temporary covid subsidies, wants to perpetuate massive fraud cost American taxpayer 10s of millions of dollars in terms of Medicaid” [CNBC, 09/26/25] |
OBBB Impact on Wisconsin and by District
Number of Wisconsinites at risk of losing Medicaid funding: 276,175 [6/30/25, Joint Economic Committee]
Possible state revenue losses: $284 million
WI-01 — Bryan Steil
- Est. # of people losing Affordable Care Act coverage: 12,400
- Est. # of people losing Medicaid coverage: 19,393
- Est. total # of people losing coverage: 32,339
- See county by county breakdown here
- Est. # of people losing Affordable Care Act coverage: 12,400
- Est. # of people losing Medicaid coverage: 12,366
- Est. total # of people losing coverage: 24,766
- See county by county breakdown here
WI-03 — Derrick Van Orden
- Est. # of people losing Affordable Care Act coverage: 13,600
- Est. # of people losing Medicaid coverage: 19,069
- Est. total # of people losing coverage: 32,669
- See county by county breakdown here
WI-04 — Gwen Moore
- Est. # of people losing Affordable Care Act coverage: 13,200
- Est. # of people losing Medicaid coverage: 32,348
- Est. total # of people losing coverage: 45,548
- See county by county breakdown here
- Est. # of people losing Affordable Care Act coverage: 12,800
- Est. # of people losing Medicaid coverage: 10,576
- Est. total # of people losing coverage: 23,376
- See county by county breakdown here
WI-06 — Glenn Grothman
- Est. # of people losing Affordable Care Act coverage: 13,600
- Est. # of people losing Medicaid coverage: 16,545
- Est. total # of people losing coverage: 30,145
- See county by county breakdown here
WI-07 — Tom Tiffany
- Est. # of people losing Affordable Care Act coverage: 16,900
- Est. # of people losing Medicaid coverage: 18,814
- Est. total # of people losing coverage: 35,714
- See county by county breakdown here
- Est. # of people losing Affordable Care Act coverage: 15,300
- Est. # of people losing Medicaid coverage: 18,597
- Est. total # of people losing coverage: 33,897
- See county by county breakdown here
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.
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