CEDAR RAPIDS, โขIowa – Hundreds of thousands of Iowans face potential increases in health โคinsurance โฃcosts โas federal tax credits for the Affordable Care โAct are set to expire at the end of this year. In response, Mercyโข Medical Center hosted a help โevent Saturday to assist residents in navigatingโฃ the โขchanging landscape of health insurance options.
Alanโฃ Waite, an attendee, learned hisโค monthly โpremium is expected to jump from $13 to $89 in 2026. “I wouldn’t have known where to go orโข else.โ And I had somebody to โฃreally help me through all โtheโค steps that โyou needโฃ to go โthrough,”โค Waite said. “And it gives you confidence. And that’s a good feeling.”
Thisโ marked the first time Mercyโ Medical Center โhas offered such an event,driven by a recognized need to guide individuals through their coverage choices. “This allows us to helpโ people pick out their plan, โคunderstand what goes into their plan,โ so that โฃtheyโข have a good plan for themselves instead of โคjust picking something,” explained amy hosek, eligibility team โฃmanager at Mercy Medical Center. โข
While the expiration of federal tax credits is expected to drive up costs,โ some individuals may still qualify for reduced โcoverage plansโ based on their income.Hosek noted that a system calculationโข will determine eligibility โfor monthly benefits.
Waite โฃexpressed concern about the financial impact on others, stating, โ”Some people are going to bear some pretty โคheavyโ burdensโค withโ it and their financial situations. And it’sโฃ disappointing that’s โฃgoing on.”
Mercy medical center will host another help event on โSaturday,โฃ Decemberโข 13. Details can be found at โ https://www.mercycare.org/events/event-search-results-detail/?eventId=961d244a-48c6-f011-a87d-000d3a611ea2. Open enrollment through the marketplace closes January 15th.