Pick One: Healthcare, Rent or Food
- Helen
- Mar 28
- 3 min read
Robert Kramer discusses how Republicans are leaving behind Americans and American families through recent budget-busting legislation.
Families across America are forced to make choices like this since Republicans passed Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" or (OBBBA) for short in 2025.
On March 19, 2026, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) surveyed over 1,000 families who received their 2025 health insurance through the "American Care Act" (ACA) marketplace, with the assistance of premium tax credits to off set the cost of obtaining private insurance. Republicans in Congress allowed those credits to expire at the end of last year to give the all ready rich another massive tax cut.
Responses this year show the human toll on poor families and children (and who doesn't feel poor these days?):
Among returning ACA enrollees: "Four in 10 specifically say their premiums are "a lot higher." In all, a large majority (80%) of these enrollees say their health care costs, which can include premiums deductibles, co-pays, or coinsurance, are higher."
Some 2025 enrollees may not enroll in 2026: "One in 6 (17%) returning ACA Marketplace enrollees say they are not confident they will be able to afford their premiums this year.
Year-to-year increases for the same coverage: "For those who kept the same Marketplace plans, the expiration of the ACA's enhanced premium tax credits in 2025 is estimated to have increased annual premium payments BY MORE THAN TWO-FOLD on average this year."
Response to the higher 2026 health costs: Among those who re-enrolled in an ACA Marketplace plan, a MAJORITY (55%) say they have cut or plan to cut spending on food or other basic household expenses to afford their health care insurance.
Concerns about specific health care costs: No health care insurance covers every single dollar. "73% worry about emergency care or hospitalizations. 49% worry about affording routine medical care. 45% worried about affording costs for prescription drugs."
These are real people making tough choices (because of government policies and preferences): A 63-year-old man in California describes why he is uninsured now:
"The end of ACA subsidies caused a huge increase in premiums, the cost of which I cound not afford."
A 56-year-old man in Texas explains why he switched to a different Marketplace plan:
"Income exceeded the subsidy limit, forcing us to pay the full cost, so we switched down to a bronze from a gold plan. Even doing that our premiums are 3 TIMES what they were in 2025, with lower plan features and a higher deductible."
There is plenty of blame to go around for these cost increases:
COMPANIES: 7 in 10 (70%) blame health insurance companies "a lot" for their increased costs.
CONGRESS and THE PRESIDENT: "At least half place "a lot" of blame on Congressional Republicans having the majority (54%), President Trump (53%).
POLITICAL PREFERENCE: "Majorities of partisans place "a lot" of blame on lawmakers from the opposite party.
IMPACT ON THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS: There will be BLOWBACK on Congress and the President. "Health care costs will affect their decision to vote (73%) and which party's candidate they will support (74%). Democrats are more than twice as likely as Republicans to say it will have a major impact on their decision to vote (67% vs 27%). Among independent voters, nearly half say the issue will have a MAJOR impact on their decision to vote (47%) and which candidate they will support (44%).
KFF took this survey BEFORE President Trump chose to start a war with Iran.
There was no coherent explanation of why this war was necessary. Instead, there is intelligence information from inside the administration that it was not necessary. Americans know the war is costing taxpayers over $1 BILLION a day, and President Trump along with Secretary Hegseth have asked Congress for an additional $200 BILLION, while claiming war will end soon. This is simply Trump and Republicans lying to Americans.
Kaiser Family Foundation survey published on March 19, 2025.
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