New Year, Skyrocketing Health Care Costs — Thanks to Jon Husted

January 7, 2026

Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio cities rank among the most medically expensive, analysis finds

Columbus, Ohio — With the Affordable Care Act tax credits now expired, health care costs are set to skyrocket across Ohio — the direct result of Jon Husted’s votes against lower premiums.

Last year, Husted voted nine times against lowering health care premiums for Ohio families. Because of Husted’s votes, an estimated 583,000 Ohioans are now bracing for massive premium increases in 2026, with many facing costs that could double or even triple.

Read more about Husted’s Health Care Crisis:

Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio cities rank among the most medically expensive, analysis finds

As Americans struggle to afford groceries and utilities, a new study finds that three Ohio cities are among the most expensive for another essential — medical care.

Cleveland, Toledo and Cincinnati are in the top 11 in terms of how big a bite medical expenses take out of their incomes, according to a WalletHub analysis of the 100 largest American cities.

Cleveland had the dubious distinction of coming in second, with medical costs making up 11.35% of median monthly household income.

Toledo came in fourth on the list, with medical costs making up 11.03% of median monthly income, and Cincinnati was 11th, at 8.98%.

Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio doc, colleagues bash GOP senators for failing to stop insurance hikes

It now seems nearly inevitable that health insurance costs will spike at the end of the month for nearly 600,000 Ohioans and 23 million Americans. An Ohio family doctor and colleagues in other states are blasting Republicans in Congress for not doing more to stop it.

Subsidies for health care purchased on exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act are set to expire Jan. 1, causing health expenses to more than double for millions.

“Without the ACA tax credits, they just can’t make health care work in their budget. So they’ll put off screenings… they won’t just split pills, they won’t take them at all,” said Catherine Romanos, a Columbus family doctor.

“Here in Ohio, our senators, Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno, voted against helping Ohioans afford health insurance,” Romanos said.

“They voted to let premiums skyrocket. Earlier this year, senators Moreno and Husted voted to give tax breaks to billionaires, but I guess health care for working families is just too expensive. What a slap in the face for my patients.”

Husted’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Dayton Daily News: Area people brace for loss of health care government subsidies in the Marketplace

As lawmakers debate whether or not to extend the COVID-era enhanced premium tax credits for the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplace, local residents who get their health insurance through the Marketplace are preparing to pay double of what they had been paying for insurance, or even forgoing it altogether.

If Congress doesn’t pass a deal to extend the enhanced premium tax credits, Marketplace premiums on average could more than double, according to a KFF analysis.

One local resident is seeing her premium go up by more than nine times what she paid this year.

For the first year, Kalbfleisch paid about $75 a month for insurance through the Marketplace, and it went down in 2025 to about $26 a month after her husband died.

For 2026, her health insurance is going to go to $254 a month, Kalbfleisch said.

“I’ll just have to take it out of savings because I only get so much in Social Security a month,” Kalbfleisch said. “Every month I will have to pull from savings to make that payment.”

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Husted and Moreno tone-deaf about coming harm to seniors from soaring drug premiums

Sens. Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno, your refusal to address the expiration of Affordable Care Act credits means my husband’s and my monthly prescription drug premiums are more than doubling (up to $1,083.60 from $483.60).

We are senior citizens on a fixed income; these increases will negatively impact us.

You’re oblivious to our everyday lives, seemingly caring only about the millionaires and billionaires to whom you cater.

Actions speak louder than words. Your actions inflicting pain far outweigh your alleged concerns.

Your comment, Mr. Husted, to simply “earn more,” as you were quoted on Fox Business, is a tone-deaf response to those of us who worked our entire adult lives and are now retired.

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