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Insider’s Report: ‘Near Seniors’ Experiencing Higher Health Care Premiums Because Congressional Leaders Refuse to Act |
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So far, extremists in Congress and the Trump Administration have blocked an urgently needed extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits. That means millions of “near seniors” — aged 54 to 65 — are now seeing their premiums more than double this year. |
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So far, extremists in Congress and the Trump Administration have blocked an urgently needed extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits. That means millions of “near seniors” — aged 54 to 65 — are now seeing their premiums more than double this year. |
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While the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would have extended the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits for three years, thanks to YES votes from all House Democrats and 17 House Republicans who openly defied House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has called the bill, “dead on arrival.” Meanwhile, President Trump has indicated that he will veto any “clean extension” that comes to his desk. |
Anne Montgomery, Senior Health Policy Expert with the National Committee, explained that ACA tax credits are indispensable for millions of Americans, especially older ones who are not yet eligible for Medicare (aka “near seniors.”) Without the extended tax credits, many near seniors will be priced out of the ACA marketplace entirely. |
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And when those near seniors become eligible for Medicare at age 65, they will be sicker than if they had been able to keep their ACA policies, putting more of a strain on the Medicare program itself. Learn more by checking out the National Committee’s debut episode of Capital Quick Takes. |
A bipartisan ‘gang’ of Senators reportedly is working on a compromise bill that may offer a two-year extension of ACA tax credits, with new income caps and other restrictions. Yet, any reasonable legislation at this point would have to re-open the ACA enrollment period to allow people to sign up for plans with affordable premiums.
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The fight for affordable health care for all Americans continues. And the National Committee remains committed to pushing Congress to fix this affordability health care crisis of their making. |
It’s clear the ongoing ACA battle is part of a broader plan to cut many of the programs, benefits and services — including Social Security and Medicare — that you and millions of other older Americans rely on for your well-being and financial security. That’s why it’s so important that you and millions of older Americans across the country continue to speak out! |
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This legislation would: - Increase benefits immediately by an average of about $150 a month providing seniors real relief from rising costs
- Strengthen Social Security’s solvency by asking the wealthy to pay their fair share into the program
- Fix a broken Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) formula so benefits better keep up with inflation
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The SAFE Social Security Act would go a long way to update and modernize Social Security benefits and extend the solvency of the Social Security Trust Funds for decades to come. |
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Ask Us! |
Whether you’re retired or approaching retirement, our team of experts in the field of Social Security policy is available to answer your questions about benefits.
You can either search our archives for valuable advice on a broad range of concerns or submit your question here.
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This week’s question is: I am a teacher in Texas and am ready to retire. I have the option of my husband receiving my full benefit or half of my benefit if I should die. How would this affect his Social Security benefits when he is eligible? Would you advise this? He does not have this type of pension, and I don't want our kids to be burdened when they need to take care of us. |
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A free subscription, keeps you on top of the latest news about your earned benefits. |
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Your support sustains our campaigns in Washington to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare. |
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Learn more about the Social Security program and the policies the National Committee supports that would strengthen your earned benefits. |
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Americans of all ages face a crushing affordability crisis. Rather than blame the billionaire class and their political servants — or wealth inequality in general — conservatives have continued trying to pit the generations against each other. (January 26, 2026, www.ncpssm.org, Entitled to Know blog)
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The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare says that while “there is nothing wrong, per se, with upgrading technology systems ... SSA appears to be using these system changes to paper over staffing shortages at the agency, promulgated by the Trump Administration and DOGE.” (January 9, 2026, ThinkAdvisor, Melanie Waddell) |
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President Trump unveiled a new healthcare plan centered on drug prices and transparency, but it leaves unresolved the rising insurance premiums faced by those on HealthCare.gov, leaving many without a remedy for skyrocketing costs. (January 15, 2026, NPR, Selena Simmons-Duffin and Sam Gringlas)
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Claims that Social Security will “go bankrupt” are misleading, as the program would still collect revenue but would require congressional action to prevent benefit cuts once trust fund reserves are depleted. (January 15, 2026, Roosevelt Institute, Stephen Nuñez) |
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Find out how much Social Security benefits have risen from 1985 to today. Though continually adjusted for inflation, benefits still haven’t fully preserved seniors' buying power and were never meant to cover the full cost of retirement on their own. (January 12, 2026, USA Today, Christy Bieber) |
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More than half of the Social Security Administration’s frontline employees are earning less than what’s necessary to afford a basic standard of living in their communities, according to a new report. (January 14, 2026, Federal News Network)
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Member contributions to the National Committee, a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization, are not tax-deductible. |
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