Millions of Americans in states that have their own health care marketplaces are beginning to see the massive increase to insurance premiums that await next year. The Washington Post’s Paige Winfield Cunningham explains how the looming expiration of enhanced federal health care tax credits is helping to drive up costs for everyone:
Premiums nationwide are set to rise by 18 percent on average, according to an analysis of preliminary rate filings by the nonpartisan health policy group KFF. That, combined with the loss of extra subsidies, have left Americans with the worst year-over-year price hikes in the 12 years since the marketplaces launched. Nationally, the average marketplace consumer will pay $1,904 in annual premiums next year, up from $888 in 2025, according to KFF.
The massive premium increases will leave households with tough decisions:
“We have people saying they will have to choose between their monthly premiums and mortgage,” said Natasha Taylor, deputy director of Georgia Watch, a consumer advocacy group. For example, a family of four earning $82,000 a year in Georgia could see their annual premium double to around $7,000 for a plan with midrange coverage, according to a [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities] analysis. If that family earned at least $130,000, they would have to pay the full cost of the annual premium, about $24,000 instead of $11,000.
The enhanced premium tax credits that keep coverage affordable for millions of people are set to expire at the end of this year. The renewal of these credits remains the biggest impasse in negotiations to reopen the federal government.
Staffing at state agencies up, but shortages remain
The number of people working in state agencies is trending up, but vacancies still sit at 14%. That’s the conclusion of a new report from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. The Louisiana Illuminator’s Wesley Muller has more details:
As of June 30, 2024, the total number of employees in executive branch agencies, including contract employees, was 37,465, up from 35,553 in 2021. The 2024 number exceeded the roughly 36,000 state employees before the coronavirus pandemic but remains slightly below where it was about a decade ago in 2013 at 37,665, according to the report. Compared with other states, Louisiana is roughly in the middle of the pack when it comes to its total of full-time equivalent workers across all agencies per 10,000 residents.
Youth need support systems, not National Guard patrols
Public investments in education, mental health services and affordable housing are key to putting children on the path to a brighter future. Unfortunately, Louisiana has become more focused on throwing money at the mass incarceration of children. Antonio Travis of Families and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children, in a guest column for the Louisiana Illuminator, explains how the state’s welcoming of National Guard troops in New Orleans will do nothing to help Louisiana’s youth:
Instead of asking why young people are hurting and how we can show up as a village to help them fulfill their potential, Louisiana keeps turning to punishment. That’s why it’s frustrating to see our state double down time and time again on the same failed strategies that criminalize kids instead of caring for them. Flooding neighborhoods with armed troops will not stop violence. It will only create more fear and mistrust. It tells Black and brown youth that they are enemies of the state, not valued members of a community. That is not safety — that is control.
Travis provides a better path forward:
Real safety is about care and making sure every child has access to high-quality schools, safe housing, health care, mental health supports, and job opportunities. And it means ensuring that when a young person shows signs of distress, there’s a counselor or mentor— not a police officer—ready to help. If Louisiana truly wants safer communities, it’s time to hold policymakers accountable to the same standards they use to judge our youth. We can’t keep blaming children for the failures of systems that were never designed to help them thrive.
Growing uncertainty for Louisiana farmers
The federal government shutdown is coinciding with crucial harvest time for Louisiana farmers. The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate’s Jenna Ross explains how farmers, who turn to federal agencies for loans and market information, are facing numerous uncertainties:
For three weeks, they’ve been unable to get a loan from the [U.S. Department of Agriculture], apply for a conservation program or receive a market report. “All of that is shut down,” said Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain. That means many farmers are flying blind as they try to decide when to sell this fall and what to plant next February, a decision they often make months in advance. “That information is needed now,” Strain said
Number of the Day
$26,993 – Average premium for family coverage through a job-based health insurance plan in 2025. While employers pick up a large portion of the amount, the cost of deductibles and premiums that employees must pay has increased in recent years. (Source: KFF)