"John Cleveland is ready to pay a lot more for his health insurance next year. He hasn't forgotten the pile of hospital bills that awaited him after he had a seizure while tending to customers in his Austin, Texas, barbershop four years ago. Once doctors hurriedly removed the dangerous tumor growing on his brain, a weeklong hospital stay, months of therapy, and nearly $250,000 worth of medical expenses followed."
"Small-business owners are among those who stand to lose the most should Congress let the additional, generous federal subsidies put in place during the covid-19 pandemic lapse. The looming change threatens not only their own coverage but also that of their employees, who often depend on marketplace coverage. Whether to extend the enhanced ACA subsidies that cost taxpayers billions of dollars yearly poses a serious political conundrum for Republicans."
""That saved my ass," said Cleveland, who owns three barbershops across the city. Even with Cleveland's monthly premiums expected to soar next year - from $560 to about $682 - he will still sign up for a plan that requires him to shell out $70 if he sees a doctor and 50% of the cost for any emergency room visits. Still, Cleveland is most worried about some of his employees, who might risk going without insurance once they see the high prices."
John Cleveland incurred nearly $250,000 in medical expenses after a seizure led to urgent brain surgery, a weeklong hospital stay, and months of therapy. Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage paid most of those bills. Cleveland expects his monthly premiums to rise from $560 to about $682 next year and will keep a plan with a $70 office visit fee and 50% emergency-room cost-sharing. Many small-business owners and their employees rely on marketplace coverage. If enhanced pandemic-era federal subsidies lapse, premiums will increase, threatening affordability, coverage continuity, and employee retention.
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