GOLDEN LEADS EFFORT TO EXTEND ACA MARKETPLACE TAX CREDITS

The following information was released by the office of Maine Rep. Jared Golden:

Action needed to prevent premium price spikes on tens of thousands of Mainers

WASHINGTON Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) is leading a bipartisan effort to protect Maine families, seniors and small business owners from massive health care premium price spikes by extending tax credits that help individuals afford health insurance plans on the state's Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace,CoverME.gov.

"Letting the ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credits expire would raise costs on Maine families. That's simply not an option," Golden said. "Mainers who buy private insurance on the ACA marketplace are staring down an average $180 monthly premium increase in January if Congress doesn't extend these credits, with rural Mainers aged 60-64 facing the steepest increase. Many are likely to lose coverage in the face of this price spike."

Golden is an original cosponsor of theBipartisan Premium Tax Credit Extension Act, introduced last night by Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02). Under current law, the enhanced Premium Tax Credit established by theAffordable Care Act (ACA), expanded during COVID under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and later extended through the Inflation Reduction Act(IRA) is set to expire at the end of this year. The bill would extend the credit through 2026.

"I've always said I'll work with anyone Democrat or Republican to serve my constituents. I'm proud to join Congresswoman Kiggans and this bipartisan coalition to protect Mainers from increased health care costs," Golden said.

Because of this income-based premium tax credit, arecord 24.2 million people signed up for coverage during open enrollment in 2025. In fact, middle-income enrollees increased from 140,000 in 2021 to 900,000 in 2024. Without this extension, millions of self-employed workers and small business owners will see their premiumsincrease by more than $11,000 a year.

According to CoverME.gov, 85 percent of people purchasing plans through Maine's ACA marketplace receive financial savings through the ACA Premium Tax Credits, and "nearly all CoverME.gov consumers will likely see higher monthly premiums if Congress does not take action to extend, or make permanent, the enhanced tax credits."

Other original cosponsors include: Democratic Reps. Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Don Davis (NC-01) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), and Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Rob Bresnahan (PA-08), Carlos Gimenez (FL-28), David Valadao (CA-22), Young Kim (CA-40), Jeff Hurd (CO-03), Thomas Kean (NJ-07), Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27). The group spans members of the Democratic Blue Dog Coalition, the Republican Main Street Caucus, and the Bipartisan Problem Solvers' Caucus all of which are dedicated to pragmatic legislating and bipartisanship.

Full bill text is availablehere.