Concerns grow for NH older adults as ACA premiums spike

Advocates for older adults in New Hampshire worry many will go without health insurance due to skyrocketing premiums under the Affordable Care Act.

Despite public outcry, Congress failed to extend enhanced tax credits used by more than 70,000 residents, nearly half of whom are between ages 45 to 64 and do not yet qualify for Medicare.

Lily Wellington, executive director of the New Hampshire State Commission on Aging, said insurance companies could decide it is no longer feasible to provide coverage in certain areas.

“It’s really something that I think everyone should be paying attention to,” Wellington urged. “Not just folks receiving their insurance benefits from the ACA marketplace. It’s really going to have an impact on all of us.”

Wellington receives at least three calls a week from residents concerned they will no longer be able to afford health insurance as monthly premiums more than double. Congressional Republicans argued the subsidies were ripe with fraud and primarily served insurance companies.

Unprecedented cuts to Medicaid are also creating challenges for New Hampshire’s long-term care system, including nursing facilities and in-home services, which rely heavily on Medicaid funding. Wellington hopes the federal government’s new Rural Health Transformation Program will help offset some of the funding cuts and improve things like medical transportation issues in underserved areas.

“We’re hopeful that some of those things can get ironed so those stop being barriers to access care,” Wellington added. “But it’s a bit of a moot point if folks are still worried about whether they can afford the insurance that covers the care.”

She stressed it is hard for the state to plan for large-scale, multiyear cuts to the health care system but personalized help is still available for residents struggling to navigate the changes. Older adults and caregivers can always contact their local Aging and Disability Resource Center or the state’s Health and Human Services Department.

Related: WATCH: How health insurance hikes with impact families