ICYMI: In New Video, Shaheen Discusses with Constituent the Critical Importance of Extending ACA Tax Credits
(Canaan, NH) - This week, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) released a new video showcasing a conversation with her constituent—Paul from Canaan, NH— discussing the importance of Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits for working families like his. In the video, Paul describes how enhanced premium tax credits allow his family to access affordable health care coverage. If Republicans in Congress and the White House allow the enhanced premium tax credits to expire, Paul would be one of 24 million Americans who will see their health care premiums skyrocket or could lose coverage all together. You can watch the full video here.
Full Video Transcript:
Senator Shaheen: Hi, Paul. It's Jeanne Shaheen.
Paul, Canaan, NH: Wow, hi! Thanks for calling.
Senator Shaheen: I do appreciate your sharing with our office your experiences in the Affordable Care Act marketplace. And what's going to happen if these premium tax credits expire?
Paul, Canaan, NH: So I changed jobs, and my new employer is, they're out of state. And while they offer health care, but it's expensive. I mean, I would have to literally work almost two weeks of the month just to afford their base premium.
Senator Shaheen: Wow.
Paul, Canaan, NH: And never mind the fact that the plan actually isn't accepted here with our local providers. My wife has, sort of existing, autoimmune disease that requires, you know, prescriptions.
Senator Shaheen: Yeah.
Paul, Canaan, NH: And she has regular doctor's visits. And not having insurance really isn't an option for us.
Senator Shaheen: Right.
Paul, Canaan, NH: And the premium tax credit has made it so that it really has removed the fear that one single emergency room visit could, you know, bankrupt our household.
Senator Shaheen: That's a very real fear that families have. One of the positive things about the Affordable Care Act, I noticed this year that the enrollment is higher than it's ever been in New Hampshire. And one of the reasons is the fact that those premium tax credits are helping people to be able to afford the cost.
Paul, Canaan, NH: I told my wife earlier this year, I said, without the extension of that premium tax credit, I said, you know, we have the real likelihood of we're going to have to make some very, very difficult decisions about how to pay for it.
Senator Shaheen: I totally understand that. And we're working really hard to try and see if we can extend the tax credits.
Paul, Canaan, NH: Well, thank you. I really appreciate your, you know, the strong advocacy towards resolving that, because I know I'm not the only one, and it's disheartening to know that, come the end of the year and the start of the new year, things could be dramatically difficult, for many households, not just mine.
Senator Shaheen: I really appreciate your sharing with our office the difference that it's made for you, and we will keep at it, and hope we can get this extended.
Paul, Canaan, NH: Thank you. When I tell people, have you reached out to your legislator, and they say “No, because they don't listen,” I can say they listen.
Senator Shaheen: Absolutely. Thank you. Bye, bye.
Paul, Canaan, NH: Alright, Bye, bye.
Last week, Shaheen and a group of her colleagues published the findings from a report they commissioned detailing the disastrous impacts Republican-led cuts to health care, including allowing enhanced premium tax credits to expire this year, will have on Americans’ health insurance plans. The report, crafted by the Georgetown Center on Health Insurance Reforms, outlines a 75% increase in net premiums, the largest rate change insurers have requested since 2018, the last time that policy uncertainty contributed to sharp premium increases, and coverage loss for millions of Americans fueled by expiring Affordable Care Act enhanced PTCs, President Trump’s tariff policies, cuts to health care in the “Big Beautiful Betrayal” and rising health care costs. The report finds that low- and middle-income Americans that are older and living in rural areas will be disproportionately affected, and that one commonly cited factor driving 2026 rate increases is the looming expiration of enhanced PTCs.
Shaheen champions efforts in Congress to make health care more affordable and accessible for Granite Staters and all Americans. Shaheen’s first bill introduction this Congress was her landmark Health Care Affordability Act—bicameral legislation with U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and U.S. Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) to permanently extend enhanced premium tax credits for Marketplace coverage that have lowered health care costs for millions of Americans. In July, Shaheen delivered remarks alongside her Senate colleagues about the consequences of allowing the vital tax credits to expire at the end of this year.
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