U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative:
On behalf of our 3 million members and the 50 million students they serve, we urge you to VOTE NO on the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act (H.R. 6703). Votes on this issue may be included in NEA’s report card for the 119th Congress.
H.R. 6703 ignores the fact that come Jan. 1, subsidies are set to expire and premiums rise significantly—more than double, on average—for coverage obtained through Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces. Instead of addressing what this means for over 20 million affected Americans, HR. 6703 focuses on adjustments with no immediate impact—for example, allowing small businesses and self-employed people to band together to decrease coverage costs and requiring pharmacy benefit managers to provide employers with data on drug prices, rebates received from manufacturers, and other operations.
This approach is NOT popular with voters. In the November KFF Health Tracking Poll, 74 percent of Americans supported extending the ACA subsidies, including 94 percent of Democrats, 76 percent of Independents, and 50 percent of Republicans.
Without the subsidies, millions will become uninsured. According to a recent KFF survey, one-quarter of those insured through ACA plans are very likely to drop coverage altogether. Earlier this year, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) projected that 4 million people now insured through ACA plans will lose coverage entirely if the subsidies end—on top of the 7.8 million losing Medicaid due to funding cuts and other provisions of the GOP’s reconciliation bill. Educators would be hit especially hard, with more than 10 percent of education support professionals (ESPs) relying on ACA plans or Medicaid.
The impact would reverberate nationwide, especially in rural areas. The uninsured population would rise as hospital revenues fell, leading to consequences that literally determine life or death. Hospitals that are no longer financially viable would shut down entirely. Some could stay afloat by reducing services, staff, or both—eliminate essential, but unprofitable, services like maternity care, for example.
Also, it is deeply concerning that the House is devoting time and resources to advancing anti-trans legislation—particularly bills that target and harm transgender children—while allowing millions of Americans to face higher premiums or losing coverage altogether. During the short window of opportunity before the subsidies expire, the legislative focus should be on lowering costs, protecting patients, and strengthening our health care system.
Now is the time for Congress to choose people over politics, to step up and be responsible. Every family—regardless of race, background, or ZIP code—deserves reliable access to affordable health care. Please VOTE NO on H.R. 6703.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Johnson Trinca
Director of Government Relations
National Education Association
