US Rep. Randall speaks on House floor about insurance

The North Olympic Peninsula's U.S. representative spoke in House this week for her constituents' health insurance plans.

Rep. Emily Randall, D-Port Orchard, took to the House floor on Wednesday to speak against the expected rise in health insurance premiums since that Affordable Care Act tax credits will expire at the end of the month.

"I come to the floor today to raise the alarm on the Republican health care crisis," Randall said. "Speaker Johnson shut the government down for 43 days and kept the House out of session, effectively running out the clock to find solutions to address the health care affordability crisis created by my Republican colleagues."

With less than two weeks remaining in the session before the holiday break, she said the GOP has offered zero solutions to the crisis.

"At the end of the month, the Affordable Care Act enhanced Premium tax credits will officially expire, leaving 24 million Americans who currently purchase health care on the exchange in an unimaginable position," Randall said. "While Mike Johnson may be sleeping soundly and enjoying the holidays with his family, millions of Americans will be up at night worrying about how they are going to pay for health insurance — on top of the affordability crisis the Trump administration created with reckless policies."

Randall provided cost examples during her speech showcasing what the change in health care means for average people in her 6th Congressional district, which includes Clallam and Jefferson counties.

Using the Washington Health Plan finder cost estimator at tinyurl.com/PDN-Health-Plans, Randall's team inputted data for a fictional male-female married couple ages 60 and 55 with birthdays of June 10, 1965, and June 10, 1970, making a household income of $85,000 and used a ZIP code from Clallam and Jefferson counties.

In Clallam County, that fictional couple's least expensive plan went from $127 a month in 2025 to $1,485 per month in 2026, an increase of 1,062 percent. In Jefferson County, the cost increased from $127.78 a month in 2025 to $1,485.11 per month in 2026, another 1,062 percent increase.

That increase amounts to a yearly health insurance bill of about $24,000, not including the costs of having to see a doctor for routine or emergency health care.

"I recently heard from a neighbor in Port Townsend who said, 'My husband is retiring in a few weeks.' She retired years ago, 'so although we currently have a good benefits package through his work, we will be on our own for coverage soon. Only yesterday we learned of the substantial increase through Health Plan Finder. We have now determined that the best way to cover our upcoming health care costs will be for me to take my Social Security early,'" Randall said.

Her neighbor is upset that her Social Security payments will not be used for other living expenses and because the payments will be lower than if she could have waited longer to take from Social Security, Randall said.

"Under this administration, costs are up across the board," Randall said. "Groceries are more expensive. Housing is more expensive. Childcare is more expensive. Gas prices are soaring. Today, the average price for a gallon of gas in Washington state is over $4, one of the highest in the nation. Health care costs are only one aspect of why millions of Americans are needlessly suffering under this administration. We don't have to keep living like this."

The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote next week on a Democratic bill to extend enhanced tax credits for three years for people who purchase their health insurance from the Affordable Care Act marketplace, according to the Washington State Standard.

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Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached by email at emily.hanson@peninsuladailynews.com.