NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) urging the Senate to swiftly pass legislation already approved by the House that would restore enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits, which expired on December 31, 2025.
Without immediate congressional action, millions of Americans are facing sharply higher health insurance premiums in 2026 — premiums that have already more than doubled for many Marketplace enrollees — putting coverage out of reach for working families and risking widespread loss of insurance. Independent analyses project that as many as 8,800 preventable deaths could occur annually due to the resulting health and economic devastation.
Black communities and other communities already experiencing disproportionate health and economic inequities will bear an outsized share of this harm.
"Failure to act is itself a decision — one that carries grave consequences for access to care, health equity, and financial stability for millions of Americans," wrote Johnson. "The Senate has an opportunity to revisit this issue with clarity and to repair the harm caused by inaction. We respectfully urge you to act without delay in bringing the House-passed legislation to the Senate floor for consideration and a vote."
The House of Representatives passed a three-year extension of the ACA premium tax credits on Thursday, Dec. 8. The Senate has several procedural options available, but further delay will only compound the harm families are already experiencing.
Key impacts of inaction include:
Coverage Loss: Millions of people projected to lose health insurance. 170,000+ Black adults would lose health care coverage across 10 major metro areas, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
Economic Harm: Nearly 340,000 jobs nationwide at risk, half in health care. Black families would also pay an additional $740 million in premiums each year.
Racial Inequity: Black Americans and other marginalized communities, already facing higher uninsured rates and chronic health disparities, will be disproportionately harmed.
Health Outcomes: Rising premiums create financial barriers to care, worsening chronic illnesses and long-standing health disparities.
"This vote will be lifesaving," Johnson emphasized. "It will protect American families and the integrity of the health care system. Alternatively, the health and financial cliffs we face as a nation will remain untenable."
The NAACP continues to advocate for policies that advance health equity, eliminate disparities, and ensure access to affordable, high-quality health care for all.
Read the full letter to Senate Majority Leader Thune here.
