Millions of Americans may see significant increases starting Jan. 1 in the cost of their health insurance premiums on plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace. This is due to the pending expiration of pandemic-era tax credits that Congress implemented to help ease the cost of health insurance in 2021 and 2022, says Prevent Blindness, which issued the following statement on the impacts of these tax credits expiring:

"If health care premiums become too expensive, people may have no choice but to drop coverage altogether, which would [not only] have devastating impacts on our national health care system but also leave people unable to access vision and eyecare prevention services. This is particularly dangerous given that many conditions that result in vision loss or blindness are preventable if detected and treated early, and may lead to permanent vision loss if allowed to progress without the appropriate treatment."

Prevent Blindness says any proposal considered by Congress to thwart these increases must:

• Prevent coverage losses

• Ensure that health care plans are comprehensive (including for those with preexisting conditions such as diabetes)

• Address a range of health needs (including preventive services)

• Provide quality care

• Rein in costs 

• Address the urgency of the looming 2026 health plan year

More information is available here, as well as in the new Prevent Blindness resource, “Understanding Insurance Benefits for Eye Care.”