(The Center Square) – Since the federal government shutdown began in October, looming increases on health care costs have hung over Pennsylvania’s public insurance market, Pennie.
Powerless to impact the rates on their own, state lawmakers appealed to their congressional counterparts to act before time runs out.
Open enrollment in the state’s insurance marketplace began Nov. 1. Pennie saw its highest numbers ever with nearly 500,000 Pennsylvanians purchasing insurance. The average increase across the marketplace for 2026 is 21.5% according to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, or PID.
Rep. Anthony Bellman, D-Philadelphia, says that because of expiring Affordable Care Act, or ACA, credits, “Pennie customers are in for serious sticker shock.” He voiced his concerns in a House resolution urging Congress to act, which found bipartisan support Wednesday.
“When insurance is affordable, people get covered. When it isn’t, they drop coverage and delay care.”
The resolution drew 123 yes votes on the House floor, with 80 Republican no votes. Two republicans, Rep. Valerie Gaydos of Moon Township and Rep. Jeremy Shaffer of Wexford rose to urge their colleagues to vote for the resolution. They both conceded that serious issues remain to be addressed in health care but insisted that extending the credits is the best short-term solution for their constituents.
“I urge Congress and us in this body to act in a bipartisan manner to find real solutions to this problem,” said Shaffer. “We have to move beyond partisan attacks and work together for the good of all our residents. My yes vote today is to urge Congress to fix this broken system.”
During its rate review process earlier this year, the agency said it rejected more than $50 million in unjustified increases. In some cases within the individual marketplace, PID settled on higher rates than those requested due to “worsening morbidity,” “federal regulatory changes” and “medical/drug trends.”
The highest increase listed by PID was Ambetter Health of Pennsylvania, Inc. at 37.8%. The lowest was a decrease of 10.1% requested by Partners Insurance Company, Inc.
On Wednesday, three members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania broke rank with Republicans to force a vote on extending ACA credits.
Reps. Ryan Mackenzie, Rob Bresnahan, and Brian Fitzpatrick all represent districts where Republican holds are tenuous at best. They were joined by Mike Lawler of New York and together pushed a Democratic petition over the edge required to circumvent House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana.
“As I’ve stated many times before, the only policy that is worse than a clean three-year extension without any reforms, is a policy of complete expiration without any bridge,” said Fitzpatrick in a statement. “Unfortunately, it is House leadership themselves that have forced this outcome.”
Fitzpatrick’s colleagues concurred that they were given no other choice to try to avoid economic and health ramifications for their constituents.
“Families in NEPA cannot afford to have the rug pulled out from under them,” said Bresnahan. “Doing nothing was not an option, and although this is not a bill I ever intended to support, it is the only option remaining.”
Bresnahan’s use of the acronym NEPA refers to northeastern Pennsylvania where his district is located.
The move came after months of negotiations both within the Republican party and across the aisle never came to a suitable conclusion.
“Only Congress can fix this,” said Bellmon. “That’s why this resolution matters”
