VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — At one of Virginia Beach’s busiest intersections, health care advocates gathered Saturday to urge Congress to protect federal tax credits that help people afford insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
Standing at the corner of Virginia Beach Boulevard and Independence Boulevard, demonstrators said time is running out for people who rely on premium tax credits to keep their coverage, including Virginia Beach resident Becky Roberts.
Roberts said she was born with a dislocated hip and has lived with a disability her entire life, but has continued working instead of applying for disability benefits. She now depends on coverage through the Affordable Care Act.
“I probably would have qualified for disability my whole life, but I wanted to work, and for a long time, I went without medical insurance because I was working for small companies or small businesses that weren't able to offer it, and because of my pre-existing condition, I wasn't able to get insurance, and so I've been on the Affordable Care Act for a few years now.,” Roberts said.
She said her monthly premiums are set to increase by about 110%, and she’s worried that higher premiums and copays will put basic care out of reach.
“I don’t think people really understand that there are lives at stake,” she said. “I’m not looking for a handout. I want to pay into it, but you know, not only is the premium going up, but the copay for everything is going to be going up also.”
The rally was organized by Freedom Virginia, an affordability nonprofit that focuses on issues such as health care costs, prescription drug prices and paid leave.
Eddie Seay, who works with the organization, said the group’s message is aimed at Rep. Jen Kiggans, a Republican representing Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District.
Seay acknowledged that Kiggans has introduced legislation related to extending health care tax credits, but said she needs to go further by signing a discharge petition. This procedural step can force a bill to the House floor for a vote.
“The only way we can guarantee that the House of Representatives votes on those bills is that she sign a discharge petition asking for those bills to be presented to the floor of the House of Representatives,” Seay said.
News 3 reached out to Kiggans’ office about the concerns raised at the rally.
Kiggans has introduced a plan called CommonGround 2025 that offers a two-year extension for health care premiums with enhanced premium tax credits. In a statement, she said the proposal is designed to give lawmakers time to work on longer-term reforms.
“I know how important affordable healthcare is. That’s why I’ve been working for months on a plan to extend the marketplace premium tax credits that millions of Americans rely on. I am proud of the work a bipartisan group of 34 lawmakers and I have been able to accomplish. Our CommonGround framework offers a two-year extension that will eliminate waste and fraud while providing us more opportunity to work on reforming healthcare. This commonsense solution will give Congress the time it needs to make marketplace healthcare affordable for the American people now, while we address the systematic problems with the Affordable Care Act," Kiggans said in the statement.
Seay said he is not convinced.
“I would say, Jen, you say that you are in support of these issues, but this is just another example where you're not telling the truth. Your actions don't signify what you actually believe,” he said.
For people like Roberts, the fight is personal and ongoing. She said she plans to keep speaking out and pressing elected officials to protect access to affordable coverage.
Advocates at Saturday’s rally said their goal is to prevent thousands of Virginians from being priced out of the health care they depend on.
