U.S. Sen. Baldwin: Report shows Affordable Care Act plans will cost up to 34% more in Wisconsin in 2026 without congressional action

WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement after a new report was released that shows premiums for health care insurance bought through the Affordable Care Act open marketplace are set to increase an average of 16% in Wisconsin, with some as high as 34.5%. These rate hikes are in large part due to Republicans’ refusal to include a key tax break for families, the Enhanced Premium Tax Credit, in their budget bill.

“This is totally self-inflicted, and it’s totally unacceptable. Instead of lowering the cost of health care for Wisconsin families, Republicans are doing the exact opposite – jacking it up. For the nearly 850,000 Wisconsin families who rely on the Affordable Care Act, they are going to see their monthly premiums go up as high as 34%. Fighting to reinstate this key tax break for families is at the top of my priority list,” said Senator Baldwin.

Baldwin has long worked make health insurance affordable, including by extending the Enhanced Premium Tax Credit as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, and also leading the legislation in the Senate to stop it from expiring at the end of 2025. 

An online version of this release is available here.