FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doctors for America
PO Box: 21161
2300 18th St NW Lbby
Washington, DC 20009-9996
October 24, 2025
Doctors for America Calls On Congress to Extend Enhanced ACA Subsidies and Protect Affordable Health Coverage
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the year draws to a close, millions of Americans are at risk of losing affordable health coverage if Congress fails to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits before they expire. These subsidies have made insurance coverage attainable for millions of families and are essential to keeping care within reach.
Since their introduction in 2021, the enhanced tax credits have expanded Marketplace enrollment from approximately 11 million to over 21 million people.1 They have lowered premiums for working families and made middle-income Americans newly eligible for affordable health coverage, cutting the nation’s uninsured rate to historic lows.
If the credits expire, average out-of-pocket payments for premiums alone are projected to more than double—from $888 in 2025 to $1,904 in 2026, a 114% increase.¹ Many families will lose eligibility for essential assistance in affording their health plans altogether, facing yearly premium hikes of over $1,000 and proposed rate increases of up to 18% next year. For a single adult earning $28,000, annual costs could rise from $325 to $1,562, placing care far beyond reach.1
As physicians, we have witnessed our patients grapple with the impact of coverage loss every day. When faced with unaffordable healthcare costs, patients delay care, ration medications, and avoid preventative visits that in turn lead to higher emergency department use–impacts that lead to loss of lives and livelihoods. Affordable health coverage is a necessity for all Americans to maintain their health, economic stability, and dignity.
Doctors for America urges Congress to extend the enhanced ACA subsidies and protect the progress that has made health coverage more affordable for millions. Allowing these subsidies to expire would severely jeopardize patients’ health and financial security across the nation.
Health care is a human right. Congress must act now to protect it.
1J., Levitt, L., Ortaliza, J., & Cox, C. (2025). ACA Marketplace Premium Payments Would More Than Double on Average Next Year if Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Expire. Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-premium-payments-would-more-than-double-on-average-next-year-if-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-expire/
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About Doctors for America:
Doctors for America (DFA) is a national movement of over 40,000 physicians and medical students across all 50 states and every specialty who are committed to putting patients over politics. We mobilize and train clinicians to be effective advocates, equipping them with the skills to influence policy and lead change at both state and federal levels. Our work focuses on three core areas: expanding access to affordable care, strengthening community health and prevention, and advancing health justice and equity. Unlike many organizations, DFA does not accept funding from pharmaceutical companies, insurers, or for-profit healthcare corporations—ensuring that our voice remains independent, trusted, and grounded solely in what is best for patients. By uniting the trusted voices of doctors and medical trainees, DFA drives policy change, defends evidence-based care, and works to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on Twitter drsforamerica or Bluesky drsforamerica.bsky.social.