Picture this: a 62-year-old couple in Provo, no longer working full-time and not yet on Medicare, relying on Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage to bridge the gap. Thanks to federal subsidies, they’ve been paying about $600 a month for their health insurance.
Now imagine being told their premiums will triple next year.
That’s what many Utahns will face if Congress allows the expanded ACA subsidies to expire at the end of 2025, as outlined in the reconciliation bill recently passed by the Senate (see The Salt Lake Tribune, July 1 article: “Big Beautiful Bill…”). These subsidies have helped tens of thousands of Utahns — especially early retirees and modest-income families — afford health coverage during the gap between work and Medicare.
This hits home for me. My sister and her husband, early retirees who budgeted carefully, could face a premium increase of $15,000 or more, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. A 60-year-old Utah couple earning $50,000 could see a $10,000 jump.
These aren’t people asking for handouts. They’re small business owners in Moab, family farmers in Sanpete County, early retirees in Cache Valley — people who worked, saved, and voted in good faith.
And many of them vote Republican.
That’s why it’s disappointing to see Utah’s entire congressional delegation either voting for or supporting this bill. If the goal is fiscal discipline, surely there are better ways than shifting the burden to Utah families just shy of Medicare.
There’s still time. Utahns should contact Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis, and Reps. Moore, Owens, Kennedy and Malloy. Let them know that preserving affordable coverage matters — for our neighbors, our families, and our values.
Mark Jackson, Salt Lake City
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