MEMORANDUM

To: Interested Parties 

From: Community Catalyst

Date: October 10, 2025

Re: The Real Voices Of The Government Shutdown

The shutdown isn’t just about politics in Washington — it’s about the families, patients, and caregivers whose access to affordable, quality health care is on the line.

A recent report by the Georgetown Center on Health Insurance Reforms highlights the reality of this shutdown. If Congress fails to extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits, millions of people throughout the country will experience the largest health care premium increases in almost a decade, and it will disproportionately hurt those who are older, low- and middle-income, self-employed or living in rural areas. 

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, if Congress fails to act, premiums will spike by as much as 75%, and almost 4 million people will lose coverage altogether. Black and Hispanic communities will also be the hardest hit from Congressional inaction. 

This isn’t an abstract policy or political debate — it’s about real people. And their voices should be heard. People like:

Ginger in North Carolina:

Our family currently pays over $800 monthly for health insurance. If the subsidies are repealed, we are looking at around $2000 monthly. We will have to drop coverage and we cannot pay that much for just the premium.

Emily in Texas:

If the [Enhanced Premium Tax Credits] for the ACA go away, my monthly insurance premium would increase by $625, more than half my monthly income.

Robin in Kansas:

I work full-time as a minister… I pay for my own health care. Without help, my premiums would be more than $2000 per month plus deductible and co-pay. That is more than [half] of my salary!

Karen in Kansas: 

I can only afford health insurance because of the ACA tax credits. Thanks to them, I was able to get knee surgery that I desperately needed, take care of my high blood pressure with medication, maintain my IUD, and get yearly mammograms. Even with insurance, I’m left with over $600 in physical therapy bills that my doctor ordered but wasn’t fully covered. Without these credits, I wouldn’t be able to afford insurance at all, and I would lose access to essential care that keeps me healthy and able to work. These tax credits aren’t just financial—they are literally what keeps me alive and healthy.

Ricky in Oregon: 

It keeps me up at night thinking [about] what we would do were we to lose those tax credits. There are simply not enough hours in the day… to pick up a fourth job.

Jason in Pennsylvania:

It’s only because of the premium tax credits that I’ve been able to afford that coverage. All of my results are looking positive, but I’m going to need to be monitored for this condition for the rest of my life in one way or another.

Rachel in Kansas:

I’m a single mother working full time and finishing a master’s degree. I currently pay for insurance through my employer but can barely afford to pay my monthly bills. I’m already considering dropping the insurance at the beginning of the year to help me make ends meet. If enhanced premium credits are allowed to expire, I will definitely not be able to afford coverage. Stack this on top of a looming graduation date means my student loans will go into repayment whether or not I’m able to find a job that justifies the debt. This and a lack of access to other basic life necessities means Kansas will become a place I once lived rather than a place I can build a life and contribute to my community. 

It’s because of people like Ginger, Emily, Robin, Karen, Ricky, Jason, Rachel, and the millions of others just like them across the country, that Community Catalyst organized more than 370 organizations to send a letter to Congress demanding that policymakers make the enhanced premium tax credits permanent and reverse the harmful health care cuts in H.R. 1. 

To continue the momentum, mobilizing organizations and advocates will co-host a digital week of action starting October 14. If you would like to speak to those impacted by Congress’ inaction, or a policy expert at Community Catalyst, please contact Jack Cardinal at jcardinal@communitycatalyst.org.