Government shutdown fight threatens health care for many in Tampa Bay
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At the center of the fight to avoid a federal government shutdown are Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which are set to expire at year's end.
Why it matters: About 525,000 residents in Tampa Bay's congressional districts could see their premiums spike an average of 88% should the GOP allow these subsidies to lapse.
- Florida leads the nation in enrollment in the federal marketplace, at 4.7 million, according to KFF.
Catch up quick: The federal government will shut down on Wednesday if Congress does not reach an agreement to fund it by Oct. 1, and the ACA subsidies are among the top demands of the Democrats.
- Republicans insist an ACA extension won't be part of any stopgap legislation to keep the government funded into November, Axios' Peter Sullivan writes.
- Some GOP lawmakers are open to discussing the issue, but not until later this year. House Speaker Mike Johnson has referred to the extension as "a December policy debate and decision."
Friction point: Open enrollment begins Nov. 1, and supporters of the ACA extension warn that without action beforehand, people might log onto healthcare.gov and be deterred by premium hikes.
By the numbers: There are about 545,000 marketplace enrollees across districts 12 through 16, with around 525,000 receiving advanced premium tax credits, according to data from KFF.
- Residents of Florida's 14th congressional district could face the steepest average premium increase in the region, at 98%. Florida's 15th congressional district is second, at 93%.
What they're saying: "If the tax credit expires," U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, the Tampa Democrat who represents District 14, said in a press release, "millions of people with chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes will struggle to afford health care."
- "All Floridians will be saddled with higher costs due to uncompensated care at hospitals and crowded emergency rooms," she added.
Between the lines: Florida is among 10 states that haven't expanded Medicaid.
- That's left people who would've qualified for such coverage in expansion states to enroll in ACA plans, which for now offer expanded coverage options for those above the federal poverty level.