More than 200,000 North Carolinians have lost Affordable Care Act coverage this year, the largest enrollment decline in the country. Rising premiums and the expiration of enhanced federal subsidies have made health insurance unaffordable for many families who previously relied on marketplace plans.
North Carolina saw ACA enrollment fall by roughly 214,000 people, a 22% decline from last year. Health care advocates and enrollment experts have pointed to the expiration of enhanced premium subsidies as a major factor behind the drop in coverage.
The consequences are being felt across the state. Many North Carolinians are paying significantly more for coverage, switching to plans with higher deductibles, or going without insurance altogether.
“Not only is there significant coverage loss, but there could be more to come,” said Cynthia Cox, a senior vice president at KFF, told The Wall Street Journal.
Analysts project that millions of Americans could lose coverage nationwide as costs continue to increase.
The Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits helped lower monthly costs for working families and middle-class consumers. Without those subsidies, many households have been forced to make difficult decisions about whether they can continue affording health insurance.
The issue has also renewed attention on Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, who supported allowing the enhanced subsidies to expire and has previously called for repealing the Affordable Care Act.
As health care costs continue to rise, hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians are already feeling the impact.
