MADISON, Wis. — Today, open enrollment for 2026 officially comes to a close, and due to the GOP’s purposeful defunding of a program that helps nearly 300,000 Wisconsinites afford health care, Wisconsinites are facing skyrocketing health care costs this year. These increases are forcing retirees to consider going back into the workforce and families to decide between affording groceries and receiving care. Preliminary reports show that marketplace enrollment is down 5% from last year.
“While D.C. politicians like Derrick Van Orden, Bryan Steil, and Tom Tiffany are purposefully defunding health care to give tax breaks to their billionaire buddies like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, Wisconsin families are forced to choose between affording groceries and health care,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Philip Shulman. “The GOP is making people sicker and poorer in the middle of their economic crisis, leaving Wisconsinites fearful of just living day to day. We’re going to make sure that voters hold them accountable for their robbery and betrayal.”
See below for stories about the effects the cuts are having on Wisconsinites
WKOW: Madison woman reconsiders retirement plans after increased ACA premiums
As 2026 begins, many Americans face difficult decisions about their health insurance. Enhanced tax credits for Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage expired at the end of December.
More than 20 million Americans now see an average premium increase of 114%.
WKOW sat down with Vicki Walsh, who is rethinking her retirement plans due to these increased costs.
“We wanted to enjoy the first few years of our retirement,” Walsh said.
Walsh retired in 2025 and received subsidies under the ACA, paying about $1,000 a month in premiums. Those premiums have now increased to more than $1,500 a month.
WISN: Milwaukee health center anticipates rise in uninsured as ACA subsidies end
Data from the state insurance commissioner indicates that over 277,000 Wisconsinites received the subsidy that offset Obamacare costs. Donna Cuyler, a recently retired art teacher from Cudahy, was one of them.
“I think everyone needs to know how this impacts people.”
Her monthly insurance bill increased from $412 to over $1,100 without the subsidy.
“That money is going to come from our retirement,” Cuyler said. “We don’t know what’s ahead. Don’t know if this is sustainable.”
WISC: Health care premiums skyrocket for Wisconsin man as ACA subsidies expire
“It’s still a shock.”
As of January, Nathaniel Lentz is paying $581/month for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). That’s $576 more than the $4.71/month he was paying in 2025.
That’s because at midnight on December 31, 2025, the COVID-era ACA subsidies will expire after congress failed to pass an extension before the holiday recess.
“It has taken a real life check of,’ what money should I put towards this? Like getting groceries? What money can I put towards my rent? What money can I put towards my health care?'” he said.
WITI: ACA health insurance subsidies expire, Wisconsin impact
The new year’s sticker shock is another factor in the fight over affordability, a key issue as the country enters a midterm election year that puts control of Congress on the November ballot.
Whether you call it the Affordable Care Act or “Obamacare,” exchange plan premiums are spiking.
“This is the same exact plan as 2025. Instead of paying about $400, I’ll be paying over a thousand dollars (per month),” said Donna Cuyler of Milwaukee County. That totals roughly $8,000 more per year. “We’ll be digging into our retirement, and I don’t know how sustainable it’ll be.”
FOX 11: Wisconsinites see their health care costs spike after expiration of premium tax credits
The start of 2026 means changes for those who use our nation’s health care system.
As the clock struck midnight Jan. 1, millions of Americans and thousands of Wisconsinites watched their health care costs go up.
It’s because enhanced premium tax credits expired in the New Year. That means health care costs will more than double for those individuals using what’s commonly known as the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare. According to Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), it’s a 114% annual increase.
“Anecdotally, I am seeing more people going without coverage than I usually do during open enrollment, because the prices are more than they can handle,” Covering Wisconsin Health Insurance Navigator and Community Relations Coordinator Tina Marshalek said.
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Households over 400% of the federal poverty level are now ineligible for premium tax credits. Those below 400% still qualify for the standard marketplace tax credits, but are still seeing costs go up.
For example, KFF said someone making $28,000 was paying around 1% of their annual income, or $325. Now, with the expiration of the subsidies, that person’s premium increases to 6% of their income, or over $1,500.
