This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at .
Coloradans who buy health insurance on the state鈥檚 marketplace are in for a rude awakening.
Costs are projected to skyrocket this fall during the open period, in large part due to the expiration of an enhanced tax credit at the end of the year.
鈥淥nly Congress can stop these massive premium increases and the resulting loss of coverage for hundreds of thousands of hard-working Coloradans and their families,鈥� Gov. Jared Polis wrote to the entire Colorado Congressional delegation Tuesday, urging the federal lawmakers to pass an enhanced extension of the pandemic-era tax credit by the end of September.
鈥淎s shown by recent insurance premium filings for 2026, the tax credit鈥檚 expiration will force hundreds of thousands of Colorado families, small business owners, and rural Coloradans to pay higher premiums, reduce access to health care, and increase uncompensated care costs for Colorado hospitals and providers,鈥� Polis and Lt. Gov Dianne Primavera wrote.
Just over 280,000 Coloradans get their insurance on the marketplace, and constituents in all congressional districts, with some more than others.
For example, in the 1st Congressional District, represented by Democrat Diana DeGette, premiums for people currently eligible for the credit will rise between 161 and 179 percent, per Polis鈥� letter.
The percentage increase is what people would have to pay out of pocket for insurance with the loss of the enhanced tax credit, plus the increase in premiums insurance companies announced they were seeking this summer.
Some of the biggest increases will be felt in rural Colorado. In the 4th Congressional District, represented by Republican Lauren Boebert, premiums for people using the credit could rise by 131 percent to over 300 percent, with the number of uninsured increasing by nearly 40 percent.
In the 3rd Congressional District, represented by Republican Jeff Hurd, the increase could be as much as 334 percent. With many likely unable to afford those rates, the number of uninsured in the district is expected to increase up to 38 percent.
During Tuesday evening, the governor told Colorado Matters Senior Host Ryan Warner that the stakes for renewing the credit are high.
"They need to get that done or else, especially in Western Colorado, it's going to be devastating for so many families," said Polis.
DC taking heed
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Biden Administration for people who buy their insurance on the individual marketplace. The policy made people at higher income levels eligible for the tax credit and increased how much the government contributes to cover the cost of plans. Passed first through the American Rescue Plan in 2021, Democrats voted to extend the credits in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
But with the credit set to expire at the end of the year, pressure is growing in the U.S. Capitol to get a temporary or long-term fix.
A bipartisan group of swing seat lawmakers have introduced a bill, the Bipartisan Premium Tax Credit Extension Act, that would extend the enhanced credit by one year.
鈥淚f we want to make sure that this system is sustainable and that people can afford health insurance, we need to extend these tax credits to give us an opportunity to make changes that will, in the long-term, lower healthcare costs and save people money,鈥� said Hurd, who is the only Colorado cosponsor on the bill.
He said the one-year fix will give lawmakers time to find a more permanent approach. And they would be under mid-term election year pressure to do that, too, in order to prevent a spike in premiums right before facing their voters.
鈥淚f we don't address this issue going forward, it's going to be catastrophic,鈥� Hurd said. 鈥淚'm not a big fan of federal subsidies either, but we need time to prevent people from losing their healthcare coverage and then we need to work together to reduce those healthcare costs that are driving these premium increases.鈥�
It鈥檚 a message different parts of the Republican conference are telling their leadership.
Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday that 鈥渢houghtful conversations鈥� are occurring about whether to include an extension as part of an upcoming government funding package. But he added, 鈥渢here鈥檚 a lot of opposition to it as well.鈥�
An example of that is Boebert, who responded on social media, 鈥淎bsolutely agree!鈥� to post on X from Texas Rep. Chip Roy saying the House GOP should not extend the enhanced credit.
Two key Republicans also they questioned the need to extend the benefits.
CPR News reached out to the offices of Colorado鈥檚 two other Republican members, Reps. Jeff Crank and Gabe Evans, to get their position on extending the credits. Neither responded.
Constituents who purchase insurance on the marketplace in Crank鈥檚 district, the 5th District, will face a 159 percent premium increase, while those in Evans鈥� 8th District will see an increase of between 176-195 percent.
All of Colorado鈥檚 Democrats support an extension.
鈥淭he Democrats would extend the tax credits in a heartbeat,鈥� said Rep. Diana DeGette, who鈥檚 the ranking member of the Health subcommittee in Energy and Commerce.
But a one-year extension, she said, just kicks the can down the road and tees up another crisis next year. 鈥淎s somebody who's worked on healthcare policy for many, many years now, I think we need to work in a bipartisan way to reduce the cost of healthcare in this country. But it's not going to happen by next year.鈥�
DeGette said over the August recess she heard from a lot of people afraid they鈥檒l lose their health insurance at the end of the year.
鈥淚 don't think the Republicans should see this as a political issue. They should see it as the health of their constituents. They should sit down and really work with us on a full solution.鈥�
The tax credits are set to expire at a time when other changes to the health care landscape also threaten people鈥檚 access to coverage.
The health research nonprofit KFF predicts that policies included in Republicans鈥� One Big Beautiful Bill will lead to approximately. The that the OBBB combined with the enhanced ACA tax credit going away, could lead to Colorado鈥檚 uninsured population increasing by almost 192,000.
Sen. John Thune, Republican Majority Leader, also seems open to extending the credit, albeit in a modified form, such as returning to the pre-COVID tax credit rate.
"I think all the enhancements in both the Democrat reconciliation bills dramatically increase the size of the population, dramatically increase the cost,鈥� Thune told reporters. 鈥淟ike I said before, I think the Democrats have a responsibility to come forward with a solution."
But with their party out of power, Democrats dispute the idea that a fix rests solely with them. Republicans control both chambers and set the policy agenda in Congress.
鈥淒emocrats are ready to work with anyone to restore health care for the millions of Americans who are about to get smacked in the face,鈥� said Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii. 鈥淏ut that starts with a meeting鈥� and Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson haven鈥檛 even asked Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries to sit down and discuss this.鈥�
For Hurd, it doesn鈥檛 matter if it鈥檚 the one-year extension or something else; he wants to get to a solution before time runs out.
鈥淗owever we solve it, I鈥檓 going to be happy. I just want results,鈥� he said. 鈥淟et鈥檚 just solve the problem.鈥�
CPR News Ryan Warner contributed reporting.
