Every time there’s a government shutdown, Democrats grab a megaphone, put on their saddest faces, and warn that the world’s ending.
This week’s headline? “Health care costs are about to skyrocket because Republicans won’t play ball!”
Sounds scary, right? Like Grandma’s going to be left choosing between her blood pressure pills and her light bill.
But hang on. Before you start wrapping your house in medical gauze, let’s talk about what’s really going on.
The “Crisis” They Created
The so-called “Biden COVID credits” – temporary pandemic subsidies for people buying Obamacare plans – are about to expire.
These weren’t permanent. They were part of an emergency response. But the Left got addicted to the handout and now calls it “essential health funding.”
Democrats are acting like if these credits end, we’ll have sick people crawling through the streets begging for Tylenol.
What they don’t tell you is that premiums were already rising long before these subsidies were created.
In fact, the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) has been anything but affordable for over a decade.
The Truth the Media Skips
Here’s what the real numbers say — from actual nonpartisan analysts, not MSNBC talking heads.
- Average marketplace premiums are expected to go up about 18% in 2026, according to Peterson-KFF.
- That’s not because Republicans forgot to mail a check. It’s because health care costs keep going up – doctor pay, hospital mergers, drug prices, and government red tape.
- The CBO says if subsidies expire, the uninsured rate might rise a bit — but not the “health apocalypse” Democrats are selling.
And by the way, if your coverage depends on Washington constantly “buying down” your premium, maybe the system’s broken. Just saying.
The Conservative Reality Check
Conservatives see this whole circus for what it is: another round of political hostage-taking.
Democrats created a monster – a bloated health-care bureaucracy – and now pretend the only solution is to feed it more taxpayer cash.
These subsidies don’t fix anything. They mask the problem. Like painting over black mold.
The real cure is competition and transparency, not bigger government and more bailouts for insurers.
You want cheaper premiums?
Start by cutting the regulations that choke small clinics. Let insurance plans actually compete across state lines. Let patients see real prices before they buy.
But that doesn’t make for dramatic headlines – or campaign donations.
Nevada’s Piece of the Pie
Here in Nevada, families are already paying the price for government “help.”
Hospitals in Clark County are stretched thin. Insurance plans get pricier every year. And small businesses are the ones coughing up the extra costs.
If these credits vanish, yes, some folks might pay more. But that’s only because we’ve let politicians use subsidies like duct tape to cover a cracked foundation.
When the tape falls off, you see the damage.
Nevadans don’t need another Washington panic attack. We need reforms that actually work for working people – not scare tactics designed to keep one party in power.
The Takeaway
Democrats are right about one thing – health care is expensive.
But they’re lying about why. It’s not the shutdown. It’s not Republicans. It’s years of bad policy and false promises.
They broke it. Now they want a medal for keeping it on life support with your money.
The next time you hear them wailing about “millions losing coverage,” remember – they said the same thing when Trump was elected, when tax cuts passed, when any conservative so much as sneezed near Obamacare.
Funny thing, though: the system never collapsed. But the scare tactics? Those keep getting renewed, year after year.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
