A West Virginia woman told lawmakers on Tuesday that her Obamacare premiums jumped 323%, calling the increase “a gut punch” as Congress grilled Medicare CEOs over rising costs and the future of the Affordable Care Act.
“Last month, I did what millions of Americans do and tens of thousands of West Virginians do. I re-enrolled online through the ACA marketplace, HealthCare.gov,” said Ellen Allen, 64, of French West Virginia.
“When I saw the new premiums, I felt a knot in my stomach,” she told the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee. “I expected the premiums to increase, but I was shocked to see my premiums jump 323%.”
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Ellen Allen, executive director of Affordable Healthcare West Virginia, told lawmakers her insurance costs have increased more than 300%.
(Getty Images)
Allen said she paid nearly $500 a month last year for Bronze coverage, which includes vision and dental coverage and costs about $6,000 a year.
“I like this plan and even with the high deductible, with out-of-pocket costs up to $9,200, it’s relatively affordable,” she said.
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But after the enhanced premium tax credit expired, her monthly premiums soared to nearly $2,000 without vision or dental coverage. Over a year, the eye-watering expense was equivalent to the price of a reliable used car.
“That’s a tall order for a hard-working American who has worked every day of his adult and teenage life,” she told lawmakers.
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The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee held a hearing on lowering health care costs on January 22, 2026 in Washington.
The tax credit’s expiration at the start of the year has led to higher health care costs for millions of Americans who buy their own insurance, including self-employed people, small business owners and ranchers who don’t qualify for Medicaid or Medicare.
“Millions of Americans, including 67,000 West Virginians, have been able to afford marketplace-based coverage thanks to the enhanced premium tax credit,” Allen said, adding that subsidies keep people insured, small business owners covered and families healthy.
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Allen warned that families are abandoning health insurance altogether because of rising costs.
Allen warned that losing these tax credits is forcing families to make painful financial trade-offs.
“It’s unfair that the system makes us choose between saving for retirement or dipping into our savings to pay for life-saving expenses, or, like several people I know are doing, ditching health insurance altogether and going all-in.”
She called on lawmakers to change course.
“This is fixable. Congress can act now to restore and make permanent the ACA’s expanded premium tax credit. Doing so will save lives, protect families, and strengthen our economy.”
The loss of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies comes as the Trump administration struggles to rein in costs nationwide and a high-stakes midterm election year heightens political risks surrounding health care affordability.
Original source of the article: ‘Punch heavy’: West Virginia woman tells Congress her Obamacare premiums jumped 323%
