Senator Shaheen rallies health care leaders to protect insurance access for Granite Staters

CONCORD, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) In a push to safeguard affordable health care for thousands of New Hampshire residents, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) met with state health care leaders today to highlight the urgent need to prevent rising insurance costs.

At the center of the discussion was Shaheen’s proposed Health Care Affordability Act, a bill aimed at making permanent the enhanced premium tax credits (PTCs) under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to a news release.

Without an extension of these tax credits, as many as 10,000 New Hampshire residents could lose their health coverage, the release said. Nationwide, the enhanced credits have contributed to record enrollment in ACA plans, with over 68,000 Granite Staters now benefiting from coverage. The initiative has also helped drive the nation’s uninsured rate to historic lows.

Speaking alongside key health care advocates—including New Futures President Michele Merritt, Lamprey Health Care CEO Greg White, and National Alliance on Mental Illness New Hampshire Executive Director Susan Stearns—Shaheen underscored the dire consequences of inaction.

For too many Americans, the said, the high cost of health insurance forces impossible choices—skipping medications, delaying doctor visits, or forgoing coverage altogether.

“Without an extension of the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits, that will only get worse,” she said.

The Health Care Affordability Act seeks to cement provisions first introduced in the American Rescue Plan Act and later extended through the Inflation Reduction Act. These tax credits reduce the financial burden on individuals earning between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level, while also expanding eligibility beyond that threshold.

Senator Shaheen’s bill has garnered significant support, with 41 co-sponsors in the Senate. As the 2025 expiration date for the enhanced tax credits looms, Shaheen and her colleagues are ramping up efforts to ensure the measure’s passage.

A recent analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has reinforced the urgency of this legislative push, warning that failure to extend the credits would not only strip coverage from millions but also drive up premiums for those who remain insured.