BURLINGTON, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) called on Congressional leadership to come to the table in good faith and extend premium health care tax credit immediately before millions of Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollees see higher premiums, and up to 5 million lose coverage entirely.  

The tax credits were last extended in the Inflation Reduction Act and build on pandemic-era subsidies, which expand the coverage offered through the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace—extending discounted care through 2025. If not extended, Vermont ACA enrollees stand to lose at least $65 million total, representing premium increases of between 40% and more than 100% in 2026. U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today released the following reaction: 

“The Affordable Care Act has expanded health coverage for millions of hardworking families—including nearly 54 million Americans who have pre-existing conditions that would have made them uninsurable before the ACA. Today more than 21.4 million families, farmers, small business owners, and children—including around 92,000 Vermonters—are covered by the ACA.  

“Failure to come to the table and pass an extension of these credits would be devastating for every state, and every congressional district. It would strain hospitals, care providers and the health workforce, and pharmacies—especially in rural and underserved communities where access to care and high costs are already hurting health outcomes. We must find a path forward, renew these tax credits in good faith, and avoid higher coverage costs for 20 million Americans.” 

Senator Welch is a co-sponsor of Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Tammy Baldwin’s (D-Wis.) bill to make the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits permanent, the Health Care Affordability Act. He also joined Shaheen and 41 Senate Democrats in urging the leadership of the Senate to move as soon as possible on legislation to permanently expand the enhanced Premium Tax Credits for the millions of Americans enrolled in ACA coverage. 

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