GOVERNOR MILLS, U.S. REP. PINGREE HOLD ROUNDTABLE WITH MAINE CONSUMERS ON SKYROCKETING HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS

The following information was released by the office of the Governor of Maine:

Consumers, health care providers and insurance experts decry Federal gridlock on extending critical tax credits for ACA insurance premiums

South Portland, MAINE -- Governor Janet Mills and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree today met with Maine consumers who are facing skyrocketing health care costs amid Republican resistance to extending key Federal tax credits before the end of the year.

The Enhanced Premium Tax Credit makes health insurance premiums more affordable for people who purchase coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. More than 85 percent of Maine people who purchase marketplace coverage qualify for a tax credit to reduce their monthly costs; if the enhanced credits expire, households in Maine are expected to see an average premium increase of 88 percent.

Governor Mills and Congresswoman Pingree have repeatedly urged Congress to extend these subsidies, warning that families across Maine cannot absorb these added costs.

The Governor and Congresswoman convened a roundtable at the offices of Greater Portland Health in South Portland, a Federally Qualified Health Center that faces increased pressure for delivering health care if more consumers become underinsured, or lose health insurance entirely, due to increased expenses if the tax credits expire.

"This morning, Congresswoman Pingree and I heard story after story from everyday Maine people who will be hurt because Republicans in Washington refuse to do their job and extend the enhanced premium tax credit," said Governor Mills. "Our health system needs fundamental reform, but the most immediate thing the President and Congress can do to keep costs from skyrocketing is extend the enhanced tax credits before they expire."

"Today, Governor Mills and I heard directly from Mainers whose lives will be upended if Affordable Care Act premium tax credits expire. From small business owners and families to artists and farmers, Mainers are staring down premium hikes that could wipe out their budgets or force them to drop coverage altogether," said Congresswoman Pingree. "The stories we heard today underscore a health care crisis that Republicans in Congress have refused to confront. There's no excuse for this inaction. I'll keep fighting to secure these tax credits because no Mainer should lose coverage or face financial ruin because Republicans in Congress refused to act."

"If the enhanced premium tax credits aren't extended, our patients and community members across the state will face extremely difficult decisions about which, if any, medical plan they can afford," said Ann Tucker, CEO of Greater Portland Health. "We will continue to care for our patients regardless of the medical insurance choices they have to make due to the expense. However, as community members are unable to afford medical insurance or pay out of pocket, the amount of uncompensated care will rise across health systems, resulting in financial strain."

"When my children were young, I delayed starting my own business for one reason: the high cost of health insurance. The Affordable Care Act made it possible for me to start a business here in Maine because I had access to affordable healthcare coverage for my family," said Ossian Riday of Topsham. "I thank Governor Mills and Congresswoman Pingree for convening this important discussion and urge leaders in Washington to renew these credits -- for Maine families, and for our economy."

"This abrupt increase in our insurance premiums will force our family to apply for the marketplace's catastrophic high-deductible plans at a final cost that is still unknown to us. We anticipate this plan to still be an increase in cost over our current HMO plan and we will have to divert money we planned to use for retirement savings," said Penny Collins of New Gloucester. "It is shocking to me that we find ourselves so close to a new plan year with no knowledge of our final costs, but we simply cannot afford to take a $20,000 increase in our annual healthcare costs. We are going into Thanksgiving week with more questions than answers about how we will manage healthcare costs starting in the new year, which feels hopeless and frustrating."

The Maine Bureau of Insurance and the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation have also warned that failure to renew the credits will force younger, healthier people out of the insurance risk pool -- which has already driven up insurance rates for Maine people, regardless of how they obtain their health coverage.

Today's roundtable takes place during the annual open enrollment period for health insurance through CoverME.gov, the state's health insurance marketplace under the Affordable Care Act. Open enrollment runs through January 15, 2026. Maine people can visit CoverME.gov to compare private plans, update information, learn if they qualify for financial savings, and enroll in health and dental insurance plans for 2026.

"Since Open Enrollment began, more than 2,000 Mainers have cancelled 2026 coverage due to higher premiums after the expiration of enhanced tax credits -- an unprecedented decline, which has caused enrollment to be its lowest at this date since Maine launched its marketplace in 2021," said Hilary Schneider, Director of the Office of the Health Insurance Marketplace. "However, we are still seeing consumers signing up for coverage every day, with the vast majority of them eligible for a tax credit to reduce their monthly costs, which shows how CoverMe.gov remains a critical source of affordable health care coverage for Maine people."

CoverME.gov ensures access to essential health services and peace of mind. All plans include 100 percent coverage for preventive care, and most plans include pre-deductible low-cost office and urgent care visits, and prescription coverage with typical co-pays between $0 and $50, depending on the plan. Health coverage protects Maine people from medical debt and helps families stay healthy when unexpected illness or injury strikes.

Today, 85 percent of the 61,000 people insured through Maine's state-based health insurance marketplace, CoverME.gov, receive a tax credit to reduce their monthly premium cost -- more than 83 percent of whom are low or middle-income earners now facing increases in groceries, car repairs, and other daily expenses of living.