Rep. Tokuda Votes to Protect Health Coverage for Hawaiʻi Residents

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02) voted in favor of legislation to extend the Affordable Care Act's enhanced premium tax credits for three years, preventing massive premium hikes that has made health care unaffordable for millions of Americans, including residents and families across Hawaiʻi. The measure passed the House by a vote of 230-196, moving Congress one step closer to protecting affordable coverage and stabilizing rural health systems.

During debate on the House Floor, Rep. Tokuda addressed the potential consequences of Congress failing to extend the enhanced tax credits:

"Imagine being a farmer choosing between insurance and seed, a small business owner weighing a doctor's visit against payroll, families hoping nothing goes wrong because they are one ER visit away from being homeless. This is the reality for rural America today…Without those credits, rural Americans will see their monthly health care costs rise by 107 percent. A single premium hike will make the difference between whether a family eats, pays rent, or sees a doctor. 2.8 million rural Americans will lose coverage. For them, this is not politics. This is life or death."

In rural Hawaiʻi and across the country, insurance coverage is critical to the financial stability of hospitals, clinics, and emergency departments because it determines whether providers are reimbursed for the care they deliver. When premiums rise and coverage declines, providers lose revenue. These pressures threaten the financial viability of rural healthcare systems, which operate with thin margins and limited revenue streams.

Video of Rep. Tokuda's remarks can be found here.

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