2026 Midterms Shadowed by Healthcare Affordability Battle

Sherrod Brown Focuses on Healthcare in Mid-Term Election Campaign

In the upcoming mid-term elections, former Senator Sherrod Brown is ready to fight for his Senate seat, a position he first won in 2006. This time around, the main talking point is healthcare, a pivot from the Iraq war that dominated discussions two decades ago. Brown plans to host a round-table discussion in Cleveland this Thursday, centering on the issues surrounding escalating healthcare costs.

Healthcare Stories: From Bad to Worse

Among the round-table discussion participants is an individual whose premiums under the Affordable Care Act have skyrocketed due to the expiration of tax credits. “You’re going to hear stories in here that are horrendous,” they shared. Brown aims to unseat Jon Husted, a Republican Senator, and says that such stories are reflective of what he’s heard on a state-wide scale.

Brown recounted the predicament of a sole proprietor in Columbus, whose insurance rates are projected to at least double. “I was talking to a business owner, a one-person operation in Columbus and his insurance will, he said at least double his rates, and he’ll go without insurance and that’s not good for anybody and also raises rates for others,” Brown said.

Americans’ Struggles with Healthcare Costs

In 2021, in the midst of COVID-19, the American Rescue Plan was passed by Congress. This included enhanced premium tax credits, aimed at making insurance premiums more affordable for those under the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare. These credits were extended in 2022 through the Inflation Reduction Act, with an expiration date set for the end of this month.

With these credits set to lapse, the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that the average out-of-pocket premium payment will more than double.

The Congressional Decision

Next week, the Senate is expected to vote on a Democratic proposal to prolong these benefits. However, securing this extension will require some Republican support. Ohio Senators Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted have expressed support for an extension, but only if tied to reforms.

Moreno outlined these proposed reforms, saying, “We have to restore income caps. I don’t think people who make $400,000 $500,000 $600,000 a year should get subsidies from the federal government. Number two is eliminate zero-dollar premiums.” He added that these tax credits should not go to insurance companies but directly into consumer accounts, almost in the style of a Health Savings Account. Husted also expressed support for this approach.

Both Husted and Moreno are open to extending the benefits until these terms can be figured out. Congress now has two weeks to reach a consensus before the holidays.

Pointing Fingers

In Thursday’s discussion, Brown blamed Husted for the current predicament. “Jon Husted’s had eight chances to vote to put caps essentially on these insurance rates and has said no each time,” Brown said. He continued, “Jon Husted and Congress chose to give billionaires tax cuts instead of doing the right thing, and it means that people’s insurance rates are literally going to double or triple.”

Husted, meanwhile, countered Brown’s accusations, pointing out that it was the Inflation Reduction Act which Brown voted for in 2022 that set the Dec. 31, 2025, expiration date. “It’s so disingenuous of him because he’s the one that ended the subsidy,” said Husted. “He’s the one that voted for it to go away at the end of this year, and now he’s saying ‘gee Jon Husted fix the problem I created?’ Well that’s ridiculous,” Husted said.