NEW: Nunn and Miller-Meeks' Health Care Decisions Hurt Iowans Again as Premiums Rise for Second Straight Year
After failing to extend ACA tax credits, Nunn and Miller-Meeks leave thousands of Iowa families paying more for less coverage
Thousands of Iowans who purchase their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace are facing another year of rising costs after insurers requested premium increases for 2027, marking the second consecutive year many families will see double-digit hikes.
The increases come after Representatives Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks allowed the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits to expire at the end of 2025, driving thousands of healthier Iowans out of the insurance marketplace and making coverage more expensive for those who remain.
New filings with the Iowa Insurance Division show proposed premium increases ranging from nearly 5 percent to almost 17 percent on average across Iowa insurers, with some individual plans increasing by more than 28 percent.
The consequences of Nunn and Miller-Meeks’ priorities are already becoming clear. Iowa has lost roughly 21,000 Marketplace enrollees in just one year, a 17 percent decline, as families found coverage too expensive after Republicans allowed the tax credits to expire. With fewer healthy people remaining in the insurance pool, insurers say costs continue to climb, leading to another round of premium increases for Iowa families.
Progress Iowa Executive Director Mazie Stilwell released the following statement:
"This isn't bad luck or an unavoidable market trend. It's exactly what Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks chose. They decided to put tax breaks for billionaires and wealthy corporations over affordable health care for Iowa families, and now working people are paying the price month after month."
“The latest premium requests underscore what health care advocates have warned for months: when coverage becomes unaffordable, healthier people leave the marketplace, costs increase for everyone left behind, and more families are forced to choose between paying for health insurance and paying for necessities like groceries, rent, and gas.” said Jill, an Iowa resident, who saw a tenfold increase in her annual premium costs.
Rather than protecting affordable coverage for working families, Nunn and Miller-Meeks let the tax credits expire and supported the Republican tax law that delivered massive tax cuts to billionaires and large corporations.