Two prominent Kentucky Democrats are urging President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits, a key issue at the heart of the ongoing government shutdown.
Gov. Andy Beshear and U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey made the demand and outlined possible effects if the tax credits aren’t extended ahead of open enrollment on Nov. 1 during a press conference on Oct. 28.
Beshear said nearly 100,000 Kentuckians with insurance plans through the state marketplace could see up to 37% higher premiums for 2026 coverage, should the credits expire.
“That’s thousands of hard-earned dollars leaving the pockets of our families just to afford health insurance coverage, which I believe is a basic human right,” Beshear said.
The enhanced premium ACA tax credits stem from the COVID-19 pandemic, when Congress expanded who could get a subsidy to help people buy insurance on the marketplace. Those tax credits expire in December, which Democrats have said will spike monthly premium costs for families who buy health insurance through that marketplace.
In Kentucky, Beshear said a typical family of four making $130,000 in Kentucky could see the cost of annual premiums increase by more than $12,000, while a 60-year-old couple making $85,000 could pay nearly $24,000 more annually.
The ACA tax credit has become a sticking point for Democrats and Republicans amid the government shutdown, now the second longest in history. As the shutdown enters its fourth week, Democrats refuse to support a stopgap funding bill that would reopen the government if it doesn't have the ACA tax credit extensions.
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