Nebraska For Us, experts lead discussion on barriers to health care access

Local coalition urges Reps. Bacon and Flood to lower health care costs

OMAHA, Nebraska (January 21, 2026)—Jessica Schubel, former Biden Administration Special Assistant to the President for Health Care, joined Nebraska For Us for a virtual roundtable Wednesday to discuss soaring health insurance premiums and other health care affordability challenges as Congress, including Representatives Don Bacon and Mike Flood allowed tax credits to expire.

“The current policy is to make it as hard as possible for working Americans to access affordable health care, and families simply cannot find hundreds or even thousands of dollars more per month to pay higher premiums,” said Jessica Schubel, former Special Assistant to the President for Health Care. “More red tape is making it harder for hardworking Nebraskans to keep their much-needed coverage. Two rural hospitals in Nebraska are at risk of closing right now because of Medicaid cuts, too.”

“The expiration of health insurance tax credits has caused premiums to increase significantly for Nebraskans in 2026,” said Dr. David Palm, Director of the Center for Health Policy at University of Nebraska Medical Center. “Administrative burdens and higher premiums will lead to more uninsured and worse health outcomes. There are other negative impacts tied to policy changes including coverage, job, and revenue losses that will disrupt the health care system.”

With open enrollment closing and Republicans in Congress failing to extend tax credits to make health care more affordable, Nebraska For Us brought together experts and people directly impacted by these policies to better understand the fallout and the consequences of inaction.

“Last year, our premium was $1,300,” western Nebraska cattle rancher Becky Potmesil said. “If we kept the same plan, it would have been more than $3,000 a month this year. Still, we are paying $1,000 more a month than we were in 2025. I wish that our federal delegation would realize that there are a lot of farmers and ranchers in this state buying their own insurance.”

“In October, I received an email that my plan would no longer be available,” Omaha small business owner Gladys Harrison said. “I tried to find a similar plan, but it would have cost me nearly $400 more per month. I had to select a worse plan while still paying more per month than I did in 2025. The restaurant business is tough right now, and we are just trying to make ends meet.”

“My family is working poor,” Omaha resident Melinda Clipp said. “We cannot afford health insurance and we are told we make too much to qualify for Medicaid. We are just surviving. For the past year, I have been doing a bucket list with my daughter because I am going downhill and do not have much time.”

For months, Nebraska For Us has called on members of our state’s federal delegation to make health care more affordable. Instead, they have let tax credits expire, voted to support tariffs on multiple occasions, drastically cut Medicaid and committed to other harmful benefit reductions.

“Health care has been a major part of the news cycle in recent months, and now the ripple effects are heading our way,” Nebraska For Us State Director Angie Lauritsen said. “Tax credits have expired and monthly premiums have spiked. We still will not know the full ramifications of policy changes for months to come. Families in Nebraska are facing heartache and stress as we speak.”