NH Families Caught in the Crossfire of Washington Gridlock

The federal government shutdown is already creating chaos, but one of the biggest impacts for New Hampshire families will come in our health care. By allowing the shutdown to drag on, Congress has failed to extend the tax credits that make health insurance affordable for thousands of Granite Staters who buy coverage on their own.

These credits aren’t handouts — they are practical tools that help working families pay their premiums. Without them, health insurance costs could spike by as much as 90 percent this fall. That means parents deciding whether to take a sick child to the doctor, or families dropping coverage altogether because the monthly bill is simply unaffordable.

The effects won’t stop there. When people can’t afford coverage, more go without preventive care. Emergency rooms get more crowded. Hospitals absorb more unpaid bills, driving up costs for everyone else. In rural New Hampshire, where hospitals are already stretched thin, that could be devastating.

This shutdown isn’t just a fight in Washington — it is about whether families in New Hampshire can keep their coverage, whether small businesses can continue offering benefits, and whether our communities can keep hospitals and clinics open.

Congress must end the shutdown and restore these tax credits immediately. Health care should not be collateral damage in a political standoff. Granite Staters deserve better than chaos and higher bills.

JH Simoes, Concord NH