Earlier last year, millions of Americans who depend on government sponsored insurance plans purchased on the federal or state marketplace realized they were once again subject to the whim of Washington politicians. As they faced bankruptcy-inducing premium hikes as high as 53%, they found themselves pawns in the cruel game the U.S. Congress so often plays with life-and-death issues like health care. The federal insurance subsidies expanded to millions of Americans during the pandemic in the American Rescue Plan were slated to expire this fall. After weeks of hanging on every update about the moods and inclinations of key Senators, particularly Senator Joe Manchin, D-WV, the 13 million Americans in the Obamacare exchanges learned their premiums will not increase $1,000-$2,000 a month after all.

“If you missed it before, it should be clear now that Washington politicians are willing to terrorize American families with the specter of crushing health care costs right up to the last minute,” “They are playing with people’s lives. For people dependent on the federal and state marketplace subsidies, life and death decisions in health care are dependent on a bunch of political sleights of hand and brinksmanship in Washington that recur every few years. Our health care security should not be dictated by the whims of Congress.”

Although Manchin was the focus of attention most recently, many Republicans have voted with the Democrats to create these dependencies. For the millions of Americans, the Senate’s whipsawing will be on rinse and repeat from now on, as the federal subsidy expiration approaches every few years. Even with the extended subsidies, families forced onto the federal and state exchanges must still cope with many burdens, including high deductibles — in some cases $10,000 annually.

“Few families have the resources to pay the sky-high premiums and deductibles of marketplace insurance plans the next time Congress is battling over subsidy extension. It’s chilling to put your life of your children in the hands of politicians,” “There are alternatives people should consider.”

 The need for options is clear; 100 million people are already suffering from medical debt and bankruptcy, inflation is killing family budgets, and Congress never solves the root cause of price inflation in health care that is driving the need for endless subsidy expansion. More than a million Americans, including doctors, have discovered a way to keep health care independent of a fickle Congress.

 “More and more doctors and independent health care facilities are leaving behind the broken health care system and the insurance system,” “For instance, if you get an MRI at a hospital-owned radiology department, that MRI will likely cost 3-5 times more than an MRI at a free-standing imaging center would cost. Independent health care providers, teaming up with independent Health Care Sharing and their members, are an unstoppable and disruptive challenge to the broken health care status quo.”