Kristin Fuhrmann Simmons is a former teacher and artist who lives in Kennebunkport with her husband and two daughters.
I never imagined I would be the person driving my father to and from his cancer treatments, prepping meals and coordinating round-the-clock care amidst the controlled chaos of the everyday life of a working family. But that carefully orchestrated dance became my reality after my father, an allergist and immunologist who once mentored me in his Kennebunk clinic, was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a form of blood cancer.
Over the course of 14 years, in addition to being his daughter, I became his caregiver, advocate and constant companion through the ups and downs of cancer treatment. At the same time, I was raising two teenage daughters, teaching art and then ultimately managing my own autoimmune disease.
Through it all, the affordable health coverage made possible by the Affordable Care Act and supported by the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits that I relied on was the lifeline that kept me and my family going. Now that lifeline is at risk.
These tax credits have provided crucial support for Mainers like me, who don’t have access to health insurance through an employer or public program like MaineCare, or others who could not afford health insurance on their own.
This includes self-employed individuals, small business owners and countless people navigating the individual market. These credits reduce the share of income people must spend on health coverage, making insurance more affordable and accessible.
In Maine alone, more than 66,000 people currently rely on marketplace coverage through CoverME.gov, and over 85% of them, more than 50,000 individuals, qualify for these health insurance tax credits. But unless Congress takes action, these enhanced tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025. That means starting in 2026, monthly premiums could rise sharply for millions across the country, including tens of thousands of Mainers who are already doing everything they can to keep their health coverage.
Estimates suggest CoverME.gov members are likely to see premium increases of nearly $180 per month. Households that will see the largest premium increases include those that have members aged 60-64, who live in rural areas of the state and have children covered. If the tax credits aren’t extended, this will hit caregivers who are already stretched to the limit, cancer patients managing life-threatening diagnoses and middle-income families just trying to stay afloat.
These tax credits don’t just help people “get by.” They help us show up — for our families, our employment, our health and our futures. When my father’s cancer moved out of the watch-and-wait phase and into active treatment, I attended every appointment. I listened to his questions and to the moments in between the words. I cooked, cleaned, coordinated and held space for the fear that came with every scan. My ability to be there, fully and consistently, hinged on affordable coverage, not just for him, but for me.
Like many caregivers, I sacrificed parts of my own health journey to be there for someone else. And yet, I also relied on regular care to manage my autoimmune condition, mental health check-ins and access to basic preventive medicine. The health care tax credits made it possible for me to get the care I needed — without sacrificing my father’s care or bankrupting my family.
If these health care tax credits are allowed to expire, many families will face impossible choices. People like me, caregivers, parents, those living with chronic illness, will be forced to decide between paying for their own care or covering a loved one’s. Some will go into debt. Others will delay or skip essential treatment. Either way, the cost isn’t just money — it’s worse health, more
stress and a system that lets people down when they need it most.
We often talk about “golden years” as a metaphor for retirement or aging gracefully. But for my family, those extra years that came after my father’s relapse and new treatment weren’t just metaphorical — they were golden. They were time I never thought we’d get. Time in the garden. Time laughing. Time talking about books and politics and watching my daughters grow.
Those years were possible thanks to medical innovation, yes. But they were also made possible by access to care. And affordability is access. Patients and caregivers don’t need pity, we need policy. These tax credits were one of the most meaningful health care decisions of the last decade. They’ve helped reduce the number of uninsured Americans to record lows. They’ve given people facing cancer the ability to start treatment without delay. They’ve allowed caregivers like me to protect our own health while caring for others.
If Congress lets these credits expire, it won’t just raise costs, it will strip away the security and stability families rely on during their most vulnerable moments. That’s not a future I want for my neighbors, for other caregivers or for anyone facing a life-threatening diagnosis.
I was able to show up for my father the way he showed up for me. Everyone deserves that opportunity.
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