WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: MAINERS PROTEST, SLAM COLLINS FOR NOT EXTENDING ACA TAX CREDITS

The following information was released by the Maine Democratic Party:

In case you missed it, impacted Mainers continue to call out Susan Collins for not including an extension for ACA tax credits in the deal to reopen the government and repeatedly voting against a bill that would have extended the credits.

As a result of Collins not extending the tax credits when she had the chance, more than 50,000 Mainers are expected to see their insurance premiums "double, triple or even quadruple."

Watch and read more:

WGME, CBS 13: Maine Democrats call on Sen. Collins to extend ACA tax credits

The Maine Democratic Party is calling on Senator Susan Collins to act before tens of thousands of Mainers see their health insurance skyrocket.

The party held a virtual roundtable Friday with working Mainers.

They talked about how they would each be affected if ACA tax credits expire on January 1, which is the current plan passed by Republicans in Congress.

In some cases, premiums could double or triple, leaving people who rely on Obamacare few options.

Collins voted against adding any extension to the shutdown deal [...]

WFVX/WVII, Fox 22/ABC 7: Protesters urge Senator Susan Collins to help renew ACA tax credits

Protesters stood outside Senator Susan Collins' Bangor office Thursday to make their voices heard, urging her to help renew the ACA tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year.

Folks there said they planned to deliver to Senator Collins' staff an invoice for all the money her constituents will lose if the ACA tax credits are not renewed.

Maine Beacon: Mainers to Collins: Vote to bring back health care affordability credits

Mainers visited all six of Sen. Susan Collins' district offices Thursday morning to press her to support reinstating enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, which are set to expire in January.

They visited Collins' offices in Augusta, Bangor, Biddeford, Caribou, Lewiston and Portland to warn that losing the credits will sharply increase insurance costs for people who rely on the individual ACA marketplace. It is estimated that letting the enhanced credits lapse would cost Mainers at least $100 million in higher health care expenses.

Jonathan Haines, a retired nurse, visited Collins' office in Biddeford. He said that when people can't afford health care, they can end up in life-threatening situations.

"People die because of the fact that they were afraid to go to the doctor because they didn't have the money for the premium, or they didn't have the health care," Haines said. "Anything that blocks people from getting health care when they need it could cost them their lives. I've seen it as a nurse, and so that's why I'm here today."

Julie Sherman, an organizing fellow with Maine People's Alliance (of which Beacon is a project) and a Saco resident, said she remembered being uninsured when her children were young.

"I felt like a failure as a parent because I didn't have health care for the kids," she said, adding that "one wrong move would have been devastating for us. We're in a place now, luckily, where we do have insurance and we can provide for our kids. But there are still so many families who can't, and no family, no human should have to worry about that."

The renewed costs could be severe for older Mainers. John Gold of Saco said his monthly premium would jump from $138 to $1,380 without the enhanced credits.

"I'm 63 years old. I can't afford to go without insurance, so I will suck it up and pay it, but that's money that's not going to go to any of the businesses around here," he said, noting that rising premiums would ripple through the economy as households cut spending elsewhere.

Others said they're only able to get critical behavioral and physical health care because of the ACA credits.

Marissa Hamilton of Saco spoke about one friend who has struggled with depression and anxiety for years. "If they were to lose the funding that helps them stay alive every day and want to be alive every day, I don't think they would stick around for very long," she said outside of Collins' Biddeford office.

Ending the enhanced credits would raise premiums in Maine's ACA marketplace by an average of nearly 24%, increase costs an average of 77% for older adults in rural areas, result in $42 million in lost federal funding, eliminate 500 jobs and reduce state and local tax revenue by $6 million per year. About 71,000 Mainers are currently enrolled in ACA marketplace plans.