MADISON, Wis. — Yesterday, a mom in Derrick Van Orden’s district spoke to Spectrum News about the devastating impacts her family experiences as a result of rising insurance premiums. Republicans like Van Orden refused to extend ACA premium tax credits before they expired, driving premiums up across Wisconsin for families like Phyllis Jaworski’s. Now, constituents like Jaworski and her family struggle to afford everyday necessities after their premiums more than doubled.

Spectrum News: ‘A very dark cloud’: Wisconsin mom sees ACA premium more than double
By: Charlotte Scott | 3/23/26

  • Phyllis Jaworski lives in Western Wisconsin, near the Minnesota border, with her husband and two teenage boys. They obtain their health insurance through an online marketplace under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
  • Last year, she paid $800 a month for coverage. That ballooned to $1800 this year, after Republicans in Congress allowed enhanced subsidies to expire for people buying ACA coverage.
  • “It is kind of an emotional piece, being like, ‘Wow, we just really can’t afford what we’ve always thought we could,’” she said. 
  • Jaworski said she and her husband have cut back on subscriptions and look for sales at the grocery store. They’ve also weighed if they can afford extracurricular activities for their sons. They might seek scholarships, or ask their oldest son who’s working to contribute. He’s also getting his driver’s license soon, so their car insurance will go up.
  • “This should be a time of excitement and stuff, and for us, it’s actually kind of dread, right?” she said. “An additional $1,000 a month for the health insurance, and now I think it’s like an additional $500 a year, or whatever it is, for the driver’s insurance… It’s hard.”
  • The Affordable Care Act reduced the uninsured rate to a record low of 7.7% by 2023, in part by allowing young adults to stay on parents’ plans until age 26, expanding Medicaid in many states, and banning insurers from charging people with pre-existing conditions higher premiums. 

[…]

  • Monday marked 16 years since then-President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. 
  • “To see now the deterioration of this program, as well as many others, it is a very dark—a very dark—cloud,” Jaworski said. “We felt very fortunate that it was an option when I left my job and lost our insurance… And it was just nice to think—to feel like—there was something that we could fall back on and rely on if we needed it.”
  • In a social media post, Congressman Mark Pocan, D-Madison, wrote that tens of millions of Americans “received the coverage they needed, and insurers could no longer deny care for pre-existing conditions” when the ACA was signed into law. He added that he’s “committed to protecting the Affordable Care Act against GOP attacks and to fighting to bring the tax credits back!” 
  • Phyllis said her higher premium is compounded by fears of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Phyllis said her husband, who is in the construction industry, has had less crew members working because they’re afraid to leave their homes, despite working here legally. Because of this, her family’s income has decreased significantly. 
  • “When my husband had his crew who was working for him, we were able to make enough income for three families. And that’s not going to happen this year,” Jaworski said. “In the next couple of months, we’re just going to have to be making very difficult decisions as to what we can afford.”
  • Next year, Jaworski said her family may no longer be able to afford health insurance through the ACA if the cost continues to rise.
  • “We do know people that have opted to not do this, and they’re just putting money away and hoping for the best,” Jaworski said.