By Zamone Perez
Virginia News Connection
The lapse of enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits and rise in federal health insurance premiums have led more Virginians to opt out of coverage, and those who remain on the plans often pay more for less.
Rena Bumbray-Graves, a home caregiver in Woodbridge and member of the Service Employees International Union, faces hard decisions due to the increased costs. She went from paying around $550 in monthly premiums to $1,300. As a result, she has dropped her plan in hopes of finding something more affordable.
Bumbray-Graves said the rising costs of monthly premiums, along with copays and prescription drugs, means she is rolling the dice on her financial and physical health.
“It made us very uncomfortable because, at the end of the day, if we can’t find anything, the only option is to just go out of pocket and pray we don’t get sick or anything,” Bumbray-Graves explained.
President Donald Trump has threatened to veto a potential three-year extension of tax credits which passed the House and is under consideration in the Senate. Some Republicans in Congress want more spending cuts in exchange for a shorter extension of the health insurance credits.
Nearly 400,000 people in the Commonwealth buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Bumbray-Graves noted because of the increase in cost, she will have to put off care which could prevent small health problems from becoming larger ones.
“I will have to figure out whether I’m sick enough to go to the doctor. Or if I’m going to die, I have no choice but to go to the doctor,” Bumbray-Graves emphasized. “I won’t be able to just have physicals and checkups to make sure that my health doesn’t decline. If I don’t have those appointments, I won’t find out I have something that is possibly preventive until it’s too late.”
A snapshot of Virginia’s Affordable Care Act enrollment data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services suggested thousands of people will choose not to enroll or drop their plan this year.
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, nearly 400,000 people in the Commonwealth enrolled in the ACA marketplace in 2025.
