Waiting for Medicare and skipping prescriptions: Meet the Americans on the brink of losing health insurance

"Enhanced ACA subsidies - a credit designed to make care more affordable for lower- and middle-income households - expired on December 31. Plans to renew them have fizzled out in Congress. People like Richey told Business Insider they're on the brink of losing coverage after their premiums spiked in January."

"Marketplace plans are often the only insurance option for freelancers, gig workers, part-time workers, and others without employer-sponsored coverage. And the impact of this change is beginning to show: Enrollment in the marketplace dipped by 1.4 million in January, with more people expected to drop their plans in the coming months."

"The now 60-year-old is a self-employed counselor in Colorado. She relies on the Affordable Care Act marketplace for health insurance, and her monthly premium just jumped from $265 to $903. It's an expense she can't afford. 'It's frightening to think that I have to ration healthcare,' Richey said."

Enhanced ACA subsidies expired on December 31, causing dramatic increases in health insurance premiums for millions of Americans. Self-employed workers, gig workers, and others without employer-sponsored coverage rely on marketplace plans and face unsustainable costs. Monthly premiums jumped significantly—one Colorado counselor's premium increased from $265 to $903. Congressional efforts to renew the subsidies failed. Marketplace enrollment declined by 1.4 million in January, with further drops expected. Many Americans are rationing healthcare, skipping medical care, or dropping coverage entirely due to affordability. The situation particularly impacts vulnerable populations who depend on ACA marketplace plans as their only insurance option.

Read at Business Insider