MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) expressed deep disappointment in the compromise reached to reopen the government without extending critical health care protections to millions of Americans.
“While the reopening of the federal government brings short-term relief to civil servants and communities, this was a missed opportunity to enact long-term solutions for Americans’ rising health care costs,” said LaShawn Warren, chief policy officer, SPLC. “Since Congress refused to include key health care provisions, millions of Americans woke up this month to health premiums that doubled or even tripled overnight — putting lifesaving care out of reach.”
Statewide marketplace enrollments have more than doubled since the introduction of the expanded federal subsidies in 2021. More than half of that growth has taken place in states in the Deep South, including Louisiana and Mississippi, where enrollment has tripled over the last five years. An estimated 7 million people in the Deep South receive the advanced premium tax credit. Without congressional action to extend these subsidies, many individuals and families in our states will see their premiums double, which could devastate their financial stability and further destabilize insurance markets.
“Reopening the government should have gone hand in hand with protecting Americans’ health and financial well-being,” continued Warren. “Instead, millions are left in limbo —unsure if they’ll be able to afford the care their families need to survive. While we are disappointed with the final funding deal, the SPLC will continue to fight for children, seniors and families living in the Deep South to have access to high-quality, affordable health care through Affordable Care Act subsidies relief during the promised vote in December. We will remember that our leaders had an opportunity to prevent these devastating harms and failed to act. This is a crisis, and it is the right of every American living in the Deep South to have access to high-quality, affordable health care.”
###
About the Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance the human rights of all people. For more information, visit www.splcenter.org.