By Melissa PatrickKentucky Health News The U.S. Senate is expected to vote Thursday on a Democratic bill to extend the existing Affordable Care Act tax credits for three years, but multiple news sources say it is unlikely the bill will get enough votes to pass. The enhanced health care subsidies cr eated during the Covid-19 pandemic will expire at the end of the month unless Congress acts. And while people can still get tax credits, they will be reduced so premiums will go up. At a Nov. 18 ThriveKY meeting, David Verry, assistant director with the state’s Division of Health Plan Oversight, said without the enhanced tax credits, “The majority, 58% or so, are seeing an increase of $100 or more per month, 10,000 Kentuckians are seeing an increase of $500 or more per month, and some are seeing increases of over $1,000 per month.” Dustin Pugel, policy director at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, puts it another way in an analysis of what Kentuckians in every county will see if Congress doesn’t act to extend the existing tax credits: “This lost support would harm Kentuckians in all 120 counties. For these households, premium costs are likely to double in many cases. A family of four with an income twice the poverty level would see their annual premiums rise from $2,102 to $5,361. A 60-year-old couple with a household income of $85,000 would lose their insurance support entirely and see their annual premium costs rise from $7,225 to $30,886. Many of these people are small business owners or work at a small business or as independent contractors.” The analysis comes with an interactive map of how many Kentuckians used Kynect, Kentucky’s health insurance marketplace, for their health insurance in every county in 2025. The enhanced tax credits, or subsidies, were at the crux of the recent 43-day federal government shutdown. Gov. Andy Beshear, speaking at a Dec. 4 news conference, urged Congress to allow the tax credits. “The idea that this Congress would vote to extend tax cuts for the wealthy, but not tax credits for hard-working Americans so that they can see a doctor — that’s just wrong,” Beshear said. “Healthcare is a basic human right.” Beshear said that if the tax credits are not approved, it will hurt the state’s hospitals because they will get fewer dollars from private insurance companies, people will become less healthy, making them less productive in the workforce, and the economy will take a big hit. “Those are three easy reasons to extend those tax credits, and the people of Kentucky need and deserve them,” he said. Lucas Aulbach, with the Louisville Courier-Journal, reported on what several Kentucky congressmen have to say about the subsidies. Aulbach reports that U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, said  he expects an extension for a year or two to allow “more debate about what type of health care policy to have moving forward.” “It’s unfortunate that these conversations are happening now. They should have happened prior to the August recess,” Comer said Dec. 8 at an unrelated press conference. “But I think that there’s a real, real desire to see change.” U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, told reporters at the same press conference Comer attended that affordable health care “continues to be my number one focus.” “I’m hearing stories in Louisville from people who are having their health insurance triple and quadruple per month unless the Republicans extend these tax credits,” McGarvey said. “They must do it, and if they don’t do it by the end of the year, then people’s health care costs are going to skyrocket.” Aulbach reported that “Republicans such as U.S. Sen. Rand Paul have said they cost the country too much and are available to affluent families who can afford their own plans.” The post U.S. Senate appears unlikely to pass bill to extend existing ACA tax credits appeared first on The Lexington Times. ...read more read less