OPINION: Obamacare’s premium crisis: Democrats knew, and now we pay

As a common-sense legislator, I'm fed up watching Democrats point fingers at Republicans for the soaring health insurance premiums hitting families in 2026. Want to hear the real story? This mess traces back to Obamacare, and they knew it was coming. It's time New Mexicans got the truth, not more political deception.

Back in 2013, experts sounded the alarm. A Heritage Foundation report, based on a Rand Corporation study, predicted premiums would rise about 22% nationally in 2014, with some states seeing jumps of 30% or more. A Senate Republican brief warned of 10%-20% increases overall, with young adults facing up to 40% hikes. Why? Obamacare forced everyone into pricier plans with a 60% "actuarial value," meaning richer coverage, even if you only wanted or needed basic insurance. The Congressional Budget Office estimated premiums would be 27%-30% higher because of this. Congressional Democrats — who pushed through this plan over the unified objections of Republicans who recognized the threat — promised that families would save $2,500 a year, but the data showed the opposite from the start.

To cover up these increases, Democrats leaned on temporary subsidies. First with the American Rescue Plan and then later with the Inflation Reduction Act, they boosted aid through 2025. This dropped the average premium for subsidized enrollees to just $888 a year — a 44% cut from before. In New Mexico and across the country, Marketplace enrollment shot up from 11.4 million in 2020 to 21.4 million in 2024, with many paying $0 thanks to these taxpayer-funded handouts. Even middle-class families earning over $103,000 got in on it, saving up to $4,248 annually. It looked like a win — until you realize it was only a shell game.

Now, with subsidies set to expire in 2026, the Democrats' scam has been unmasked. Indeed, the Kaiser Family Foundation warns premiums could now jump 93% on average in Healthcare.gov states, from $672 to $1,296 a year. For a 45-year-old earning $25,000, costs might skyrocket from $160 to $1,077 — a 573% increase. The Congressional Budget Office predicts 3.9 million people could drop coverage, leaving less healthy people in the insurance pool and driving rates even higher. In Texas and Florida, that's billions in extra costs for millions of families. Here in New Mexico, where wages lag, this could break the bank for hardworking folks — all thanks to the scam perpetuated by Democrats in Congress.

These same Democrats are now begging for $335 billion to extend these subsidies through 2034, blaming Republicans for the crisis. Worse yet, they've decided to hold the entire federal government hostage until they get all of us taxpayers to continue their cover-up. But this crisis isn't our fault, it's entirely theirs. Obamacare's design, with its mandates and lack of choice, set the stage for these hikes. Subsidies just delayed the pain, shifting it to taxpayers while the market played out like the experts knew it would. Instead, we need better solutions: more competition, short-term plans and interstate insurance sales — to lower costs for all Americans without government overreach.

New Mexicans deserve relief, not excuses. Contact your congressional leaders and demand they own up to this. As common-sense New Mexicans, let's lead with market-driven ideas to bust this premium scam once and for all. The clock is ticking.