COSTS. TOM. WELL, BRIAN, THE REALITY IS, IF YOU ARE ONE OF THE HALF MILLION PEOPLE ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT SERVICE HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA, YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN TOLD YOUR PREMIUMS ARE GOING UP BY HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS, PERHAPS EVEN MORE THAN $1,000 EACH MONTH, BECAUSE THOSE SUBSIDIES ARE EXPIRING. AND IF NOTHING CHANGES BEFORE JANUARY 1ST, THOSE CHANGES MAY BE PERMANENT. THE COST OF GOING TO THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE OR GETTING TREATED AT THE HOSPITAL MAY BE GOING UP. WE’RE ALREADY SEEING CONSUMERS WHO ARE MAKING REALLY TOUGH DECISIONS ABOUT WHETHER THEY CAN AFFORD TO STAY COVERED FOR NEXT YEAR. PENNY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DEVIN TROLLEY SAYS UNLESS THE SUBSIDIES ARE EXTENDED, THE AVERAGE PERSON WILL PAY 150 MORE DOLLARS PER MONTH FOR COVERAGE. BUT FOR SOME, THE COST WILL BE MUCH HIGHER. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE ABOVE AN INCOME CLIFF, WHERE THEY’RE NOW LOSING ALL OF THEIR TAX CREDITS, AND WE DO SEE INSTANCES THERE WHERE WHERE PREMIUMS ARE GOING UP BY $1,000 OR MORE A MONTH. PENNY SAYS MANY PEOPLE ARE ALREADY DROPPING COVERAGE BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD IT, AND MANY WORRY PEOPLE WHO CAN’T AFFORD TO GO TO THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE WILL PUT OFF ROUTINE HEALTH CARE. AND THESE SYSTEMS ARE ALL CONNECTED. WHETHER IT’S YOUR BLOOD SUGAR, YOUR YOUR HYPERTENSION OR HEART RATE. AND IT CAN MEAN LIFE OR DEATH. PENNSYLVANIA SENATORS DEMOCRAT JOHN FETTERMAN AND REPUBLICAN DAVE MCCORMICK STUCK WITH THEIR SIDES ON A DEMOCRAT BACKED THREE YEAR EXTENSION FOR THE SUBSIDIES AND A REPUBLICAN PLAN TO PUT MONEY IN HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS TO HELP PAY FOR HEALTH CARE COSTS. BOTH PLANS WERE BLOCKED IN PROCEDURAL VOTES. FETTERMAN HAD THIS TO SAY AFTERWARDS ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM X. BOTH OF THESE BILLS WERE DESIGNED TO FAIL, AND I DON’T THINK IT’S REALLY PRODUCTIVE TO HAVE VOTES THAT ARE GUARANTEED TO FAIL. YOU KNOW, THAT’S WHY I CONTINUE TO CALL FOR A CLEAN ONE YEAR EXTENSION ON THIS. FETTERMAN SAID HE WAS STILL HOPEFUL THAT SOMETHING COULD POTENTIALLY GET ACCOMPLISHED BY NEXT WEEK. BUT A LOT OF LEADERS HAVE EXPRESSED SOME SKEPTICISM ABOUT THAT HAPPENING SIMPLY BECAUSE OF PARTIZAN DIFFERENCES, BUT ALSO JUST BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THE LEGISLATURE WORKS IN D.C. SOME HOPING THAT POTENTIALLY SOME ACTION COULD HAPPEN IN THE H
Pennsylvania braces for higher health care costs as Senate doesn’t advance subsidy bills
Updated: 4:57 PM EST Dec 12, 2025
The U.S. Senate failed to advance two partisan health bills on expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, ensuring that millions of Americans, including thousands in Pennsylvania, will face higher insurance costs next year. If you are among the half-million people using Pennie, the Affordable Care Act service in Pennsylvania, your premiums may have already increased by hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and if nothing changes by Jan. 1, they could remain that way.Devon Trolley, executive director of Pennie, said, “We’re already seeing people making really tough decisions about whether they can afford to stay covered next year.” Trolley explained that the average person will pay $150 more per month for coverage, but for some, the cost will be much higher. “There are some people who are above an income cliff where they’re now losing all of their tax credits. And we do see instances there where premiums are going up by $1,000 or more a month,” Trolley said.Pennie reports that many people are already dropping coverage because they can’t afford it, and those who can’t afford to visit the doctor will delay routine healthcare. Maureen May, president of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, said, “These systems are all connected, whether it’s your blood sugar, your hypertension or our heart rate, and it can be life or death.”Pennsylvania Sens. Republican Dave McCormick and Democrat John Fetterman, stuck with their sides on a Democrat-backed three-year extension for the subsidies and a Republican plan to put money in health savings accounts to help pay for health care costs. Both were blocked in procedural votes. Fetterman, a Democrat, commented on social media, “Both of these bills were designed to fail, and I don’t think it’s really productive to have votes that are guaranteed to fail. You know, it’s why I continue to call for a clean one-year extension on this.”Fetterman was hopeful a vote could still be had next week, though some fear the partisan gridlock may prevent that or at least require the House to take up action first, but time is still running out on the deadline.
HARRISBURG, Pa. —
The U.S. Senate failed to advance two partisan health bills on expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, ensuring that millions of Americans, including thousands in Pennsylvania, will face higher insurance costs next year.
If you are among the half-million people using Pennie, the Affordable Care Act service in Pennsylvania, your premiums may have already increased by hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and if nothing changes by Jan. 1, they could remain that way.
Devon Trolley, executive director of Pennie, said, “We’re already seeing people making really tough decisions about whether they can afford to stay covered next year.”
Trolley explained that the average person will pay $150 more per month for coverage, but for some, the cost will be much higher.
“There are some people who are above an income cliff where they’re now losing all of their tax credits. And we do see instances there where premiums are going up by $1,000 or more a month,” Trolley said.
Pennie reports that many people are already dropping coverage because they can’t afford it, and those who can’t afford to visit the doctor will delay routine healthcare.
Maureen May, president of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, said, “These systems are all connected, whether it’s your blood sugar, your hypertension or our heart rate, and it can be life or death.”
Pennsylvania Sens. Republican Dave McCormick and Democrat John Fetterman, stuck with their sides on a Democrat-backed three-year extension for the subsidies and a Republican plan to put money in health savings accounts to help pay for health care costs. Both were blocked in procedural votes.
Fetterman, a Democrat, commented on social media, “Both of these bills were designed to fail, and I don’t think it’s really productive to have votes that are guaranteed to fail. You know, it’s why I continue to call for a clean one-year extension on this.”
Fetterman was hopeful a vote could still be had next week, though some fear the partisan gridlock may prevent that or at least require the House to take up action first, but time is still running out on the deadline.