Alaska Beacon: “If federal subsidies end, the cost of health insurance would rise so much that many Alaskans will go uninsured.”

As Alaskans face a hike in health care costs of “more than 700%” as a result of the toxic GOP agenda, Senator Dan Sullivan said that “there’s no way [he] would ever vote for” Democrats’ plan to permanently extend expanded ACA subsidies and prevent health care costs from rising as a result of Sullivan’s bill. 

As an expert quoted by the Alaska Beacon notes, Alaskans already face “the most expensive health care in the country,” and now Dan Sullivan is forcing his constituents to pay even more for care. Alaskans warn that, because of Sullivan’s plan, “the cost of health insurance would rise so much that many Alaskans will go uninsured [and] might even lead to an exodus from the state.”

See for yourself: 

Alaska Beacon: Alaskans face massive health insurance cost increases unless Congress acts before year end

• More than 25,000 Alaskans who buy health insurance through the federal marketplace will face massive and possibly unaffordable cost increases if federal subsidies expire at the end of the year.

• “I do think it’s important to recognize that we should be seeing thousands of people likely lose coverage from this,” said Jared Kosin, president and CEO of the Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association.

• Speaking to a room at Juneau’s convention center, [experts] said if federal subsidies end, the cost of health insurance would rise so much that many Alaskans will go uninsured, discouraging them from getting checkups that could prevent serious illnesses. Hospitals would see a larger number of emergencies from uninsured people, straining them. It might even lead to an exodus from the state, as people seek alternative options and cheaper places to live. 

• “I worry about that,” said Kim Champney, executive director of the Alaska Association on Developmental Disabilities. “Because I think people will decide to leave Alaska because we have the most expensive health care in the country.” 

• Anton Rieselbach, with the Juneau Economic Development Council provided an analysis of cost estimates for Juneau. In Alaska’s capital city alone, 1,389 people receive health care via insurance plans bought through the federal marketplace. Right now, those Juneauites pay an average of $124 per month. If those subsidies expire, that will rise to $1,008 per month, an increase of more than 700%.

• But if subsidies end, Alaska would be exceptionally hard-hit. The state has the highest health-care costs in the nation, which means unsubsidized insurance rates are high. 

• Of the 28,736 Alaskans who have health insurance policies through the federal marketplace, 25,170 receive the enhanced subsidies, according to figures published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

• If the enhanced subsidies expire, the poorest Alaskans will still see their plans subsidized. Middle-class Alaskans would be hard hit.

• The issue has now gotten entangled with the impending government shutdown. Senate Democrats have demanded — among other things — a permanent extension of the health care subsidies, without changes, in exchange for their votes on keeping the federal government open.

• Sen. Dan Sullivan also supports an extension of the subsidies, but “there’s no way I would ever vote for that,” he said of the Democratic plan.