Obamacare costs set to skyrocket. Here’s how much they’re going up in Fort Worth
October 14, 2025 4:35 PM
Hundreds of thousands of Texans are facing expiring tax credits for Affordable Care Act health insurance, and could see the cost of those plans double next year. The enhanced premium tax credits, which were first made available through the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021, are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. The expiration date is at the heart of the federal funding dispute that resulted in the government shutdown.
Annie Spilman, executive director of Texans for Affordable Healthcare, said her group estimates that more than 1 million Texans will drop health care coverage if the enhanced premium tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of this year. Throughout the U.S., the uninsured population is expected to increase by 4.2 million people if the tax credits expire, according to the Congressional Budget Office, meaning a quarter of those dropping coverage will come from Texas.
“Texas will be hit the hardest out of every state in the nation,” Spilman said. Open enrollment, when Texans pick their health plans for next year, begins Nov. 1. Texans who don’t get their health insurance through their jobs, or who don’t qualify for public programs like Medicare and Medicaid, can purchase a plan on the ACA Marketplace.
In Fort Worth, ACA premiums are set to skyrocket, and will affect thousands of residents who have an ACA plan. According to the health information nonprofit KFF:
In Fort Worth’s 33rd Congressional District, there are 94,000 Marketplace enrollees, or about 13% of the total population. The average premium would increase 143%.
In Fort Worth’s 12th Congressional District, there are 72,000 Marketplace enrollees, or about 8% of the population. The average premium would increase 120%.
In Fort Worth’s 24th Congressional District, there are 66,000 Marketplace enrollees, or about 8% of the total population. On average, premiums would increase 96%.
Spilman urged concerned Texans to contact their representatives and express their desire to extend the enhanced tax credits. A KFF poll found that 78% of the public said they wanted Congress to extend the tax credits.
“This has bipartisan support from our Texas constituents,” she said.
Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article312503161.html#storylink=cpy