Millions of American families, including Stacy Newton and her family, are facing a squeeze under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. With premiums rising, covid-era subsidies shrinking, and fewer choices due to insurers pulling out of some markets, many are being pushed into buying pricey, unsubsidized policies from local monopolies.
The situation is a symptom of broader trouble in American healthcare. As enhanced subsidies are expected to be rolled back, the economics of Obamacare has become unstable, causing insurers like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming to retreat from government-supported markets. This leaves consumers with little choice but to buy expensive policies from the only remaining insurer in their area.
Newton and her husband, Derek, both small business owners, have relied on the ACA for health insurance. However, this year’s price hike of 34% has made it impossible for them to afford, despite receiving a subsidy that is set to expire soon. The couple knows they will need medical care, as Newton was diagnosed with chronic leukemia last year.
The enhanced subsidies that helped middle-income people afford Obamacare plans have been stuck in partisan congressional deadlock. Republicans oppose extending these subsidies, which has led insurers to raise ACA prices or pull out of the market altogether. Without these subsidies, “I would expect more insurers to retreat, to exit,” said Katherine Hempstead, a senior policy officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The problem is not unique to Wyoming. According to economic studies, when an area is reduced to only one ACA insurer, prices rise between 30 and 50 percent. In Teton County, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming has become the sole insurer, leaving consumers with limited choice and higher prices. “Clearly, the system is broken,” said Heather Huhn, an insurance broker in Jackson.
Many are turning to stopgap measures, such as Spot Insurance or healthshare groups, but these options have drawbacks. The state of Wyoming is also proposing a “major medical plan” called “BearCare,” which would cover emergency situations at a lower price but not ongoing chronic needs. However, many consumers, like Margie Lynch, are concerned that this proposal is inadequate.
As the enhanced subsidies expire, millions of Americans will face a similar struggle with skyrocketing health insurance costs under Obamacare.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/12/21/obamacare-monopolies-subsidies