Our Health Insurance Costs Could Increase by 800% if the ACA Health Care Premium Subsidies Expire
I read with horror the letter outlining next year’s health insurance premium cost. From $315 a month, it’s set to skyrocket to $2,200 a month. And that’s for a plan with catastrophic coverage. Our deductible is $7,000 each for my husband and me. While basic annual tests are covered, anything above that comes out of pocket until we meet the $7,000 deductible.
In the past two years, both my husband and I separately suffered injuries that required surgery. We maxed out those deductibles because we needed the procedures, and now we’re facing even higher costs. The prospect of paying $26,400 a year just for premiums, plus another $14,000 in deductibles, is pushing us to reconsider our options. And when we factor in the rising costs of homeowners and auto insurance, utilities, and food, it doesn’t seem sustainable in the long term.
From a different perspective, I worked as a paramedic for 27 years. Before the ACA, I responded to the home of a self-employed man who was having a heart attack. His biggest concern wasn’t about dying—it was that he didn’t have health insurance. The cost of his care could literally bankrupt him and his family. No one should have to face a choice between life and death, or between getting necessary care and losing their home and financial security—especially in the richest country in the world.
As a paramedic for a public system, I treated every patient the same, regardless of their financial situation. The cost of their care was shared across the community. It worked, but so many times, I’d hear patients express concerns about what would happen once they got to the hospital. I always had to tell them the hard truth: “It’s a matter of life and death. You need to go to the hospital and get the care you need.”
So, when will we demand a single-payer healthcare system, or at the very least, the extension of ACA premium subsidies until we can implement a more comprehensive solution? We are the richest country in the world. We can do better than this.
Lisa Parsons
South Lake Tahoe
To the Editor,
I attended the city council meeting this evening,11-18-25. I was very impressed by the council members and also the public who showed up regarding the filling of the vacant council seat. There were many very qualified citizens.
The reason I write is just to say this: History tends to repeat itself, many times in a negative light.
I simply ask those responsible in this endeavor, please do a thorough background check on all the candidates. Our city doesn’t need another Operation Snow , or another incidence like we just had with our recent Mayor. It’s just embarrassing.
Timothy Powell
South Lake Tahoe
