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Lacey Cassidy usually wouldn’t think twice about running around with her kids, trying a new activity or rushing through errands.
But she’s a lot more cautious these days to avoid any possible injuries, even a badly sprained ankle, that might require a doctor’s visit and medical care.
“Recently, we’ve been invited to a bunch of birthday parties and they’re all at a bounce park, right? Which is great. But I’ve been like, okay, I’m not jumping right now,” she said. “I do feel a little more exposed.”
That’s because Cassidy, who lives just outside Reading, Pennsylvania, with her husband and two young children, is newly uninsured. She’s among 120,000 Pennsylvanians – and counting – who have cancelled their 2026 health insurance through the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace since November.
Insurance experts say it’s part of the ongoing fallout from monthly premiums skyrocketing as a result of insurer rate increases and the loss of COVID-era federal subsidies, which had once helped lower costs before they expired.
Facing mortgage payments, rising costs of utilities, groceries, child care and other daily expenses, Cassidy said dropping her health insurance was the only option her family had left, even if it makes them vulnerable to unexpected medical bills or debt.
“I’m hoping that I can get through the year and we might find something, you know, a light at the end of the tunnel next year,” she said.
Patient advocacy organizations and insurance leaders in Pennsylvania say they’re still urging Congress to restore enhanced premium tax credits so that people may see some relief, despite negotiations coming to a standstill after the new year.
“The story isn’t over,” said Joanna Rosenhein, director of campaigns at the Pennsylvania Health Access Network. “We’re going to continue seeing people drop coverage and it’s really important for us to understand why that’s happening.”
Premiums spike as daily costs of living rise
A record number of people were enrolled in health insurance through Pennie, Pennsylvania’s ACA marketplace, in 2025. State officials largely credit the federal enhanced premium tax credits, which Congress passed in 2021 along with pandemic relief funds.
The tax credits allowed more people to become eligible for financial assistance.
Cassidy, a stay-at-home mom, and her husband benefitted from the tax credits, which kept their monthly payments low.
“I felt that we had decent and fair coverage for the price that we were paying,” she said.
However, Congress did not renew the additional subsidies before Dec. 31, causing sticker shock during annual open enrollment this winter.
