A ND family already dropped health insurance, now, ACA Premiums could rise even more
MANDAN, N.D. (KFYR) - Today, the Senate failed to extend ACA health care tax credits, all but ensuring that premiums will skyrocket for those on the marketplace, many of whom already find the cost of health insurance too expensive. On her family farm and ranch outside Mandan, Bailey Graner is raising a big family — and managing a lot on her own. But one thing she says she can’t manage anymore is the cost of health insurance. She dropped it last month. “We were told our minimum payment would be over $1,000 a month. That would be $24,000 in getting our basic health that we needed,” said Graner. She can’t imagine how much more it would cost if the tax credits expire.Graner and her husband are self-employed farmers and ranchers. Their income changes year to year — but she says their premiums didn’t.Now, they’ve dropped coverage entirely, and Graner says the risks keep her up at night.“It’s scary to think that hope none of us end up in the ICU because this could have huge implications for us being self-employed farmers and ranchers,” said Graner.Her experience reflects what experts have warned for months: if enhanced ACA tax credits expire, premiums could double for many North Dakotans.Consumer groups say families already struggling to pay premiums could be pushed out of the marketplace entirely.Now the family pays medical costs as they come and hopes for the best.“I don’t want to leave farming and ranching just to get insurance. I want to farm and ranch. But how can we make it work if health insurance is so expensive?” said Graner. For families like the Graners, experts say the next year could be critical — and the decisions Congress makes in 2026 may determine whether thousands can stay insured at all.Also on the marketplace are people between jobs, early retirees, not old enough for Medicare, and those who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little for full-price private insurance. The American Hospital Association estimates those staying on the marketplace will pay more than double what they used to. The deadline for applying for re-enrollment is Dec. 15. Copyright 2025 KFYR. All rights reserved.
