Report: Health premiums to skyrocket without Enhanced Premium Tax Credits extension

A new report says North Central Washington residents who rely on the Affordable Care Act marketplace for health insurance may see premiums skyrocket if Enhanced Premium Tax Credits are not extended by Congress.

The tax credits, which help make insurance more affordable for low income families, are at the center of the federal government shutdown. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell's office released a snapshot of how each county in Washington state will be affected without the tax credits, which are currently set to expire at the end of the year.

"Affordable health care should not be a partisan issue. In Washington state, there are seven counties where net insurance premiums will more than double next year for people who purchase coverage on the Affordable Care Act marketplace exchange — all seven of those counties are located east of the Cascades," Cantwell said in a press release.

Premiums without the tax credits will rise 110% in Chelan County, 114% in Douglas County and 118% in Grant County, according to the report, which sourced information from the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, who confirmed the accuracy of the data to NCWLIFE. Overall, there are 3,024 tax credit recipients in Chelan County, 1,173 in Douglas County and 2,104 in Grant County.

Residents who receive the tax credits in Yakima, Adams, Franklin and Ferry counties will also see rates more than double in cost, according to the report.

The open enrollment period begins Nov. 1 in most states including Washington, and Cantwell says if Congress does not act urgently, residents will be locked into the new premium rates.

The government has been shut down due to congressional failure to approve a spending plan since Oct. 1.