Enrolled HJR 9: Urging the United States Congress to extend enhanced tax credits for health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act.
00Enrolled HJR 9 01 Urging the United States Congress to extend enhanced tax credits for health insurance 02 premiums under the Affordable Care Act. 03 _______________ 04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 WHEREAS affordable health care is a fundamental need for all state residents, and 06 access to medical care is essential for the well-being, economic stability, and dignity of 07 individuals and families; and 08 WHEREAS the federal Affordable Care Act has significantly reduced the number of 09 uninsured state residents, enabling tens of thousands of families, self-employed individuals, 10 hourly workers, and small business owners to secure health insurance and access necessary 11 medical care; and 12 WHEREAS the United States Congress originally enacted the enhanced health care 13 premium tax credits through the American Rescue Plan and extended the tax credits in the 14 Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, making health insurance more accessible and affordable for 15 more than 23,000 state residents; and 16 WHEREAS the enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025
01 unless Congress takes action; and 02 WHEREAS the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits will result in the more 03 than doubling of health insurance premiums for thousands of state residents and will result in 04 residents losing the ability to afford health insurance altogether; and 05 WHEREAS the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits will force many state 06 residents to choose between health care and other basic needs, such as housing and food, 07 while also increasing reliance on state-funded assistance programs and emergency medical 08 services, thereby straining the state's budget and resources; and 09 WHEREAS the continuation of enhanced premium tax credits is vital for maintaining 10 economic stability, lowering health care costs for families, and ensuring that state residents do 11 not delay or forgo critical medical care; and 12 WHEREAS reduced enrollment in the state's individual health insurance marketplace 13 could destabilize risk pools, leading to higher premiums and the potential for more carriers to 14 leave the already limited health insurance provider market in the state; and 15 WHEREAS failure to extend the enhanced premium tax credits will have severe 16 economic and health consequences for families, individuals, the sustainability of the state's 17 health insurance marketplace, and the economy of the state as a whole; 18 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully urges the United 19 States Congress to act swiftly through budget reconciliation or other legislative means to 20 extend beyond 2025 enhanced premium tax credits for health insurance premiums under the 21 Affordable Care Act; and be it 22 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature calls on the state's 23 congressional delegation to champion the extension of enhanced premium tax credits, 24 prioritizing the health and economic stability of the state's residents by ensuring that 25 affordable health care remains accessible to all. 26 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President 27 of the United States; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, 28 U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. Representative, members of the 29 Alaska delegation in Congress.