As the federal government shutdown continues over a major health policy showdown, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro warned that tens of thousands of San Antonians will lose health coverage if Congress can’t reach a deal that extends special tax credits.
Those credits, which defray the premiums people pay under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), expire at the end of the year. Senate Democrats have refused to approve a short-term spending bill that didn’t extend them.
Some 87,000 people in Castro’s 20th District, which includes half of San Antonio, will see their ACA premiums jump if credits lapse, the Democratic congressman warned Monday on a media call. Beyond that, around 41,000 could lose health insurance altogether, according to data from the House Budget Committee Democratic Caucus (HBCDC).
“Remember, this is a state where people already struggle to get healthcare coverage,” Castro said. “We’re still the state that has the highest percentage of people that don’t have any healthcare coverage at all.”
The tax credits are vital for people who don’t get health insurance through their work or don’t qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, according to experts. This year, the number of Americans enrolled in the ACA jumped to a record 24 million.
In Texas, the average premium cost among ACA enrollees with financial assistance will balloon by 289%, or $459 annually, according to HBCDC data Castro cited.
San Antonio and Texas residents are already expected to take a healthcare hit as a result of nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts contained in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that president Trump signed into law in July. Castro said the expiration of the tax credits would only worsen the situation.
“It would be devastating,” he said. “It would be a second gut punch if these tax credits were allowed to expire.”
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