Health Insurance Costs Soar for Millions: Families Face Tough Choices Ahead

Sat Dec 20 2025 10:51:55 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As government-sponsored health subsidies set to expire, families across the U.S. grapple with skyrocketing insurance costs, forcing many to downgrade their plans or forgo coverage altogether.

With the imminent expiration of COVID-era enhanced tax credits, families in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Nevada brace for drastic increases in health insurance costs. For some, this means switching to lower-quality plans with higher deductibles, while others are left with no option but to go uninsured. The stories shared illustrate the financial strain and anxiety families face if Congress does not intervene.

In the coming year, families across the United States are facing staggering health insurance costs as government-sponsored subsidies are set to expire. A couple from Wisconsin, Chad and Kelley Bruns, are unexpectedly forced to switch from their high-quality gold plan to a much cheaper bronze plan, which has a significantly higher deductible. Meanwhile, a family in Michigan is preparing to go without insurance altogether due to unaffordable premium increases.

Less than three weeks remain until the expiration of essential COVID-era enhanced tax credits that have allowed millions of Americans to afford their health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. As these subsidies go away, a stark reality looms for many families: drastically increased insurance costs.

In Wisconsin, the Bruns family currently enjoys a top-tier plan at just $2 a month, but by 2026, that cost will skyrocket to $1,600 monthly, forcing them into a plan that could push them into financial ruin should health issues arise.

Meanwhile, in Michigan, Dave Roof and his family can no longer afford their current plan, with monthly premiums jumping from $500 to at least $700. These changes have led them to the difficult decision of living without health insurance, relying instead on cash payments for medical needs.

In Nevada, single mom Katelin Provost faces a similar struggle, with her monthly fee set to increase from $85 to nearly $750. This dramatic rise in cost will force her to rethink her budget and celebrations, including potentially downsizing Christmas this year as she hopes Congress will step in to extend subsidies.

If Congress fails to act, many families will be left to face overwhelming financial burdens in their healthcare expenditures, navigating an impending crisis while hoping for legislative solutions.