Rep. McDonald Rivet Statement on Sky-High Health Care Costs NOW Public on the ACA Marketplace

WASHINGTON— Today, as the Affordable Care Act “window shopping” begins and Michigan families can view the increasing cost of health insurance for 2026, Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) released the following statement. 

“Every day I hear from families across my district who are learning their health insurance premiums for 2026 will shoot up, and they’re not sure how they’ll make ends meet,” said Congresswoman McDonald Rivet. “Because Congress has prioritized tax cuts for billionaires over Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, working Americans are now seeing their health care costs double. We can’t afford to wait any longer. Speaker Johnson needs to call the House back immediately so we can stop the health care crisis from landing on Michigan families.” 

Recently, Congresswoman McDonald Rivet opened a portal where constituents can share the impact of rising health care costs on them and their families. Below are some of the stories residents of mid-Michigan have shared: 

• Kris, resident of Midland: “I am a small business owner. My wife and I have obtained our health insurance on the ACA marketplace for most of the years that it has existed…Coverage that doesn't pay a whole lot up-front is going to cost us over $1,000 monthly without a subsidy. Better coverage will be even more expensive. Even with subsidized coverage, our out-of-pocket health costs (including vision and dental) are on-track to be more than $10,000 in 2025…That's with no major illnesses, no hospital stays, and doesn't include the cost of insurance. A real emergency could push us to over $30,000 in any given year that we don't receive subsidies.”
• Rachelle, resident of Bay City: “My health insurance premiums as a [self-employed] person will go up approximately $1200 per month, making it where I will have to make a difficult choice to not carry health insurance and pay my other bills.”
• Kathleen, resident of Midland: “For me it is crucial that the budget retains the tax credits to ACA...I just moved back here from Germany and was able to get a part-time job in children's education, but without benefits and barely above minimum wage. Without the tax credits for ACA, there is no way I could pay for health care!...Please continue to stick up for me and thousands like me in Michigan!”

For months, Congresswoman McDonald Rivet has been raising alarms about spiking health care costs and advancing commonsense solutions that would soften their impact on Michiganders. For example: 

• On October 6th, the Congresswoman stood with a mother from Midland whose insurance premiums are jumping by 18% to call on Congress to renew the ACA tax credits and lower costs.
• In September, the Congresswoman headlined a virtual press conference to illustrate how the looming health care crisis will raise costs and kick Michiganders off their insurance.
• Earlier in September, the Congresswoman hosted a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol, leading three dozen of her colleagues in a letter to Congressional Leadership demanding an extension of the ACA tax credits.
• In July, the Congresswoman called on Republican colleagues to join her in supporting the Health Care Affordability Act of 2025, which would make the ACA tax credits permanent.
• Earlier in July, the Congresswoman spoke about the local consequences of Republicans’ trillion-dollar Medicaid cuts alongside health care workers and a Flint family that relies on Medicaid for cancer treatments.
• In June, the Congresswoman stood with seniors in Bay County to call on Congress to reverse $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts that will hurt local residents and nursing homes.