12/11/2025
Call your lawmakers with our handy script at betacellaction.substack.com (link in bio). You’ll also find tips for how to navigate diabetes without insurance.
24 million people rely on ACA plans for their health insurance coverage, which includes everyone from small business owners, contractors, farmers, and early retirees who don’t yet qualify for Medicare. Many of these individuals can only afford plans because of the enhanced subsidies passed by Congress in 2021 to make health insurance more affordable during the pandemic. Those subsidies have now expired. Without them, consumers lose a large portion of federal support that helped to keep monthly premiums manageable. Democrats kept the government in its longest shutdown ever because they wanted to extend these enhanced subsidies to keep ACA plans affordable. Republicans said they will only negotiate these subsidies after the government is funded.
If Congress fails to extend subsidies, premiums could double next year for many plans. The exact amount depends on where you live, your income, and the plan you choose, but the average person will pay roughly twice as much for the same (or in some cases worse) coverage. ACA plan coverage thus far has not been comprehensive for people with diabetes and in the face of rising premiums, many won’t be able to afford these higher costs and will have to forgo coverage or choose high-deductible plans. For people with diabetes, access to healthcare is critical. Without it, paying the list price for insulin, oral medications, glucose testing supplies, and insulin pump supplies can be thousands of dollars per month–just one month of insulin pump supplies can cost $800 a month. On top of that, paying for endocrinologist appointments, blood works (which are often required to get certain prescriptions), retinopathy exams, and more can add up too.
Continued on the Beta Cell Action Substack…
