MIAMI — Health care is emerging as a central pocketbook issue ahead of the 2026 midterms, as patients and physicians warn that the possible expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits could drive up premiums and increase the number of uninsured.
Damian Stephens, a 55-year-old personal trainer and ACA enrollee, said his premium recently doubled when he checked the marketplace. He fears losing coverage altogether if subsidies lapse.
“A bike with a squeaky wheel will still get you there — they just want to take the whole bike,” he said during a panel on Tuesday.
Doctors say hospitals are bracing for more uninsured patients showing up in emergency rooms with preventable complications.
“It is tragic when somebody comes to the emergency room paralyzed from a stroke they should not have had,” said Dr. David Woolsey of Jackson Memorial Hospital.
The panel was hosted by Democratic congressional candidate Robin Peguero, who warned that costs could rise across the system.
“All of our premiums are going to go up when folks are priced out of healthcare,” he said.
Florida has the nation’s highest ACA enrollment, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The top district — Florida’s 27th, represented by Republican María Elvira Salazar — also has a GOP lawmaker calling for extending subsidies through a bipartisan bill.
Still, residents say rising daily expenses are pushing them to a breaking point.
“The squeezing of everybody’s dollar has gotten to the point it won’t squeeze anymore,” Stephens said.
Jackson Health System’s CEO recently warned trustees that with 18% of its patients on ACA plans, losing subsidies could cost the system $100 million annually.
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