Virginia voters are angry with rate hikes ahead due to Republicans in Congress failing to extend tax credits to help individuals and families purchase health insurance plans.
By a nearly four to one margin, (75 percent to 19 percent), Virginia voters said in a new poll that they want Congress to extend the tax credits, according to new findings from Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy.
The enhanced premium tax credits, which help eligible households lower their payments toward premiums for qualified health plans offered through Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges, expired Dec. 31 due to Congressional Republicans who recessed for the holidays without extending the credits.
The tax credits were created under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and extended under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to help more families afford coverage. The tax credits were at the heart of the government shutdown earlier this year, as Democrats pushed for Republicans to support the extension.
Americans and Virginians are now bracing for the impact. In Virginia, more than 100,000 people could lose coverage. Anticipating that, health insurers offering marketplace plans have implemented substantial rate hikes for 2026.
Virginia voters also expressed opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill pushed through Congress by Republicans and signed by President Donald Trump.
The budget reconciliation legislation makes a series of significant policy changes, including revised Medicaid eligibility standards and funding cuts of roughly $1 trillion over a decade.
Sixth District Congressman Ben Cline seems oblivious to the negative impacts of the bill calling it a “big, beautiful win for America.”
Cline said the bill charts “a course for the national Golden age;” 70 percent of Virginia voters disagree with his assessment.
The Congressional Budget Office has projected that 10 million Americans could lose health coverage in the years ahead under the legislation.
In Virginia, estimates indicate hospitals could lose billions in annual funding to sustain their operations and that 300,000 Virginians may lose health coverage.
When asked about those potential impacts, 70 percent of Virginia voters said they have an unfavorable view of the Republican bill, compared to 30 percent with a favorable view.
Virginians are generally unhappy with what they have to spend on healthcare, according to the poll. Voters blame the government but also place blame on health insurance and pharmaceutical companies.
Among the top concerns as it relates to spending are:
- Out-of-pocket insurance costs including co-pays and deductibles
- Monthly insurance premiums
- Prescription drug costs
Generally speaking, those polled hold strongly unfavorable opinions of health insurers (62 percent unfavorable) and pharmaceutical companies (75 percent unfavorable).
The survey, commissioned by the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, was conducted Nov. 19-22 through landline and cell phone interviews.