The Autism DadStop the Health Premium Spike
Ready-to-use scripts to tell Congress to restore the health insurance help that kept premiums down for people who buy their own coverage, before the price hikes stick.
The basics
The extra help that lowered premiums for people who buy their own health insurance, the enhanced premium tax credits, expired at the end of 2025. Without it, the price people pay is jumping for the 2026 plan year.
KFF estimates the average subsidized customer's premium payment more than doubles, up about 114 percent, or roughly a thousand dollars more a year. This hits the more than 20 million people who buy their own insurance on the marketplace, including the self-employed, early retirees, gig workers, and small-business families who earn too much for Medicaid. Congress can still vote to restore the help.
Who this affects
This is the middle-class and small-business story. If you are self-employed, retired before 65, driving for a rideshare, or running a small shop, this is your health insurance bill going up by about a thousand dollars a year. It reaches a lot of families who have never asked the government for anything.
- The enhanced premium tax credits expired at the end of 2025, so the higher prices show up in 2026 coverage, and Congress can vote to bring them back.
- KFF estimates the average subsidized premium payment more than doubles, about 114 percent higher, or roughly a thousand dollars more per year.
- It affects the more than 20 million people who buy their own insurance on the ACA marketplace, not people with job-based coverage.
Call script~30 sec
Hi, my name is [YOUR NAME] and I'm a constituent from [YOUR TOWN, ZIP]. I'm calling about health insurance costs. The extra help that kept premiums affordable for people who buy their own coverage expired, and prices are jumping for 2026. I'm asking [SENATOR / REPRESENTATIVE LAST NAME] to vote to restore the enhanced premium tax credits. Optional, and this line matters: [I buy my own insurance, and my premium is going up by hundreds of dollars a month.] Can you tell me where [SENATOR / REPRESENTATIVE LAST NAME] stands on restoring the premium help? Thank you for your time.
Email subject
Please restore the premium tax credits before health insurance gets unaffordable
Email messagepaste into the message box
Dear [SENATOR / REPRESENTATIVE LAST NAME], I'm a constituent from [YOUR TOWN, ZIP], and I'm writing about the cost of health insurance for people who buy their own coverage. The enhanced premium tax credits that kept marketplace premiums affordable expired at the end of 2025. KFF estimates the average subsidized customer's payment more than doubles, about 114 percent higher, roughly a thousand dollars more a year. This hits the self-employed, early retirees, gig workers, and small-business families, more than 20 million people who buy their own insurance. These are working people who do not get coverage through a job. A price spike like this pushes healthy people to drop coverage and leaves everyone else paying more. Optional, and worth adding: [I buy my own insurance, and ...] I'm asking you to vote to restore the enhanced premium tax credits. Please tell me where you stand. I'd appreciate a written response. Thank you, [YOUR NAME] [YOUR TOWN, ZIP]
Find them: call the U.S. Capitol switchboard 202-224-3121, or look up your address at congress.gov/members.
Call script~30 sec
Hi, my name is [YOUR NAME] and I'm a constituent from [YOUR TOWN, ZIP]. I'm calling about health insurance costs. The federal premium help that kept marketplace coverage affordable expired, and premiums are jumping here for 2026. I want [STATE LEGISLATOR / GOVERNOR LAST NAME] to press our congressional delegation to restore the premium help, and to do what our state can to protect people who buy their own insurance. Optional: [I buy my own insurance here, and the price is going up a lot.] Where does [STATE LEGISLATOR / GOVERNOR LAST NAME] stand on keeping health coverage affordable? Thank you.
Email subject
Help keep health insurance affordable for people in our state
Email messagepaste into the message box
Dear [TITLE AND LAST NAME], I'm a constituent from [YOUR TOWN, ZIP], writing about the cost of health insurance for people who buy their own coverage here. The federal enhanced premium tax credits expired at the end of 2025, and premiums are rising sharply for the 2026 plan year. The people hit hardest are the self-employed, early retirees, and small-business families who do not get coverage through a job. I'm asking you to press our congressional delegation to restore the premium help, and to use whatever tools our state has to protect people who buy their own insurance from being priced out. Please tell me where you stand. I'd appreciate a written response. Thank you, [YOUR NAME] [YOUR TOWN, ZIP]
Find your Ohio House and Senate members to fill in the brackets above. Your address stays on your device.
Text or DM to one person
Heads up. The extra help that kept health insurance affordable for people who buy their own coverage expired, and KFF says the average premium payment more than doubles for 2026, about a thousand dollars more a year. This hits the self-employed, early retirees, and small-business families. Congress can still fix it. Please call your members of Congress at 202-224-3121 and ask them to restore the premium tax credits. Two minutes.