For Americans with cancer, upcoming policy changes could mean impossible choices between treatment and everyday expenses.
Originally published by The Century Foundation.
For more than 18 million Americans living with cancer, access to healthcare and health coverage is more than just financial security. It connects them to life-saving care that maintains and improves their quality of life.
However, federal action—and inaction—may sever that connection for people with cancer.
Without congressional action, current marketplace premium tax credits will plummet on Jan. 1, 2026—by an average of 93 percent in HealthCare.gov states. Among people with cancer receiving these tax credits, 86 percent report they will have difficulty affording and getting necessary healthcare services.
Additionally, a new rule effective next year (pending litigation) will raise the out-of-pocket cost-sharing limit for private insurance, which will affect many people with cancer. And the budget reconciliation law will require all people with marketplace coverage to re-sign up every year, which will inevitably, unintentionally result in people with breast cancer or lymphoma or skin cancer falling through the cracks.
According to this new analysis by The Century Foundation of 32 states that used HealthCare.gov in 2024, Americans living in places where rates of cancer are higher than the national average will disproportionately be harmed by imminent changes.
- Out-of-pocket premiums in above-average cancer rate counties will increase by 20 percent more than in counties with below-average rates. This is on top of overall increases in median individual market health insurance premiums of 18 percent for 2026.
- The out-of-pocket premium increase will be more than $1,000 in above-average cancer-rate counties in twelve states.
- Alaska, Wyoming and West Virginia will have the highest dollar-amount increase in out-of-pocket premiums in above-average cancer rate counties.
- States with the biggest percent difference in out-of-pocket premium increases between above- and below-average cancer rate counties are Illinois (+42 percent); Utah (+26 percent) and Texas (+20 percent).
- All residents live in above-average cancer rate counties in four states—Delaware, Indiana, Kansas and New Hampshire—and will face extra barriers to affordable coverage.
- HealthCare.gov enrollees in high cancer rates counties are older and rely more on automatic re-enrollment—placing them at greater risk of losing coverage. Premiums for older marketplace enrollees will rise faster than for younger people with the end of enhanced premium tax credits. And automatic re-enrollment, which is valuable to people with cancer, was eliminated by the budget reconciliation bill.
Jeanne Lambrew is the director of healthcare reform and a senior fellow at The Century Foundation. From 2019 to 2024, she served as the commissioner of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. As commissioner, Lambrew helped expand and improve affordable health care to more than 100,000 people, bringing the state’s uninsured rate to its lowest point ever; contributed to Maine’s nation-leading COVID-19 response, including the highest vaccination rate of older residents and one of the lowest death rates in the country; and made historic investments in health and human services.
Emma Ford is a Health Care Advisor at the Century Foundation, working with the Health Care Reform team. Prior to joining The Century Foundation, Emma worked at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on coverage transition needs of individuals navigating from Medicaid to the Marketplace. Before that, Emma spent 5 years in Virginia working to improve access to care for underinsured and uninsured Virginians, as well as the state’s Medicaid population. Emma received a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown’s McCourt School and a B.A. in both Public Policy and Economics from the College of William and Mary.
Great Job Jeanne Lambrew & the Team @ Ms. Magazine Source link for sharing this story.
