Sept. 17, 2025
MADISON, Gov. – Tony Evers joined 17 other governors this week in calling on Congress to extend enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, ACA, warning that failure to act could result in higher premiums and loss of coverage for millions of Americans, including more than 276,000 Wisconsinites.
In a joint letter sent to congressional leadership, the governors emphasized that the ACA’s enhanced credits, set to expire at the end of 2025, lowered marketplace premiums by an average of 44 percent in 2024, according to the Center for American Progress. Without renewal, families could face thousands in added costs and widespread coverage losses.
Gov. Evers said the stakes are especially high for working families already struggling with rising costs.
“Far too many are feeling the pressure of rising costs, and folks should never have to choose between life-saving healthcare and getting their prescriptions or putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their head,” said Evers. “Now more than ever, we should be working to make healthcare more affordable and more accessible, not making it more expensive and harder for folks to get the care they need.”
The letter was addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. It warns that if Congress fails to act swiftly, insurers will set 2026 rates without the enhanced credits, triggering a wave of sticker shock for consumers.
Gov. Evers also pointed to Wisconsin’s record-breaking ACA enrollment during the 2025 Open Enrollment Period, with more than 313,000 residents signing up for coverage on the individual marketplace, marking the highest enrollment in state history.
The governor credited the Biden, Harris Administration and Wisconsin’s congressional delegation, including Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Reps. Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan, for helping make coverage more affordable. In 2023, 88 percent of Wisconsin enrollees received premium subsidies, saving an average of $573.11 per month.
Evers also highlighted the success of the Wisconsin Healthcare Stability Plan, WIHSP, a bipartisan initiative signed into law in 2018 and extended through 2028. WIHSP has consistently lowered rates on the individual marketplace, reducing premiums by 14.5 percent in 2022 and 13.7 percent in 2023. Without WIHSP, rates on HealthCare.gov would have increased by 19.5 percent for the 2025 plan year, instead, they rose by just 8.2 percent.
Projected Premium Increases if Subsidies Expire
According to analysis by ACA Signups, if the enhanced subsidies expire at the end of 2025, Wisconsin residents could see average gross premiums increase by 19.9 percent in 2026. This estimate accounts for both the loss of enhanced subsidies and additional regulatory changes affecting affordability.
The Kaiser Family Foundation also estimates that nationally, premiums could rise by up to 75 percent for some enrollees, translating to an average increase of $700 per year. For Wisconsin’s 311,000 ACA enrollees, the financial impact could be substantial, especially for middle-income families who would again face the “subsidy cliff.”
You can explore the full Wisconsin-specific analysis on ACA Signups and use the interactive premium impact calculator from KFF.
Governor Points to Wisconsin Investments In Healthcare
Governor Evers also point to the final 2025-27 Biennial Budget, which was signed into law by Gov. Evers just a day before President Trump’s budget reconciliation bill was signed into law, secured an additional $1.1 billion to support healthcare access across Wisconsin, especially in rural communities, that would have been jeopardized had the President’s bill been enacted first.
“In addition to securing the additional $1.1 billion, the 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed into law by Gov. Evers made investments to support Wisconsin’s healthcare industry and ensure Wisconsinites have access to quality, affordable healthcare—especially in rural areas—with new efforts to bolster health systems across the state,” said Evers
Those investments included:
- Continuing funding for BadgerCare;
- Over $53 million to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for personal care, obstetrics, private duty nursing, residential opioid treatment, and home health services, and more;
- Fully funding the minimum fee schedule implemented by the Department of Health Services last biennium to help long-term care facilities avoid staffing cuts and closures;
- $1.5 million in increased funding over the biennium for free and charitable clinics;
- $7 million to support crisis intervention through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline;
- $2 million to support the WisCaregiver Career Program to help address the state’s shortage of certified nursing assistants and direct care professionals; and
- $3.8 million to support Aging and Disability Resource Centers across the state, among many other critical provisions.
“I’ve always believed healthcare should not be a privilege afforded only to the healthy and the wealthy,” Evers said. “Wisconsinites should be able to get the healthcare they need when they need it.”
The full body of the governors’ joint letter is included below:
Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Leader Thune, and Leader Schumer,
We urge you to extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. For millions of hard-working Americans, these subsidies are the only reason health insurance is still within reach in a country where the cost of living keeps going up.
If they expire, premiums will rise by thousands of dollars for many families, millions will lose coverage, and people will be forced to make impossible choices between paying for healthcare, rent, or groceries. Hard-working American families, older Americans not yet on Medicare, small business owners, and rural communities, where marketplace coverage is often the only option, will be hit the hardest.
The timing couldn’t be more urgent. Insurers are already setting 2026 rates. If Congress acts quickly, states can lock in lower premiums and spare families a wave of sticker shock this fall. If not, the damage will be felt for years.
This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s about protecting working people who are doing everything right but still struggling to get by. Extending these tax credits is one of the simplest, most effective steps Congress can take to keep healthcare affordable and provide real stability for millions of families.
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