As Health Insurance Costs Soar, Healthcare Workers Also Feel the Pinch

Boise, Idaho - Joshua and Ashley Durham have recently become the first in their lives to lack health insurance for themselves and their two children. As the practice they founded at the end of 2023 came to an end, the Durhams, Joshua a primary care physician and Ashley a pharmacist who manages billing, found their monthly premiums for a comparable health plan skyrocketing to nearly $1,600.

Unable to afford the increased costs, they opted to pay for medical expenses out-of-pocket, drawing upon savings they had accumulated over years in a health savings account.

The healthcare industry traditionally employs more individuals with medical insurance than the average workforce. Currently, only 7% of healthcare workers in the United States were uninsured in 2024, compared to 11% of all adults under 65, according to a KFF analysis of American Community Survey data. Doctors were least likely to be uninsured, with just 2% lacking coverage. However, healthcare workers are no exception to the rising health insurance costs; employers anticipate an additional 8.2% increase for 2027.

Since last year, the Republican-led Congress chose not to renew Affordable Care Act marketplace credits introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. These credits had previously helped reduce premium payments for many consumers, especially those working in small businesses like independent medical practices. Approximately half of marketplace enrollees in 2024 were small business employees or self-employed individuals, often in occupations such as chiropractic care or dentistry.

Jack Dillon, executive director of the Association for Independent Medicine, representing 4,000 physician-led practices, described premium increases as untenable for small businesses. He lamented the astronomical cost associated with maintaining coverage, questioning the value such plans offer. As healthcare costs continue to rise, some employers may seek alternatives to their standard coverage, such as offering higher wages or providing only basic plans.

The number of uninsured individuals in the U.S. is projected to increase by roughly 15 million over ten years due to the expiration of expanded ACA subsidies and an estimated $1.1 trillion in cuts from President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Healthier individuals are more likely to opt out of insurance, leaving a smaller, sicker pool of enrollees. As a result, insurers raise prices to cover the remaining members, further inflating premiums.

Samantha LeGault, a nurse practitioner at a health clinic in Boise, experienced a premium increase from $700 to $1,500 monthly this year for her and her family. As someone with Crohn's disease and two daughters with medical conditions, she has no choice but to continue paying for health coverage. She decided to forgo dental insurance to save money, prioritizing dental visits for her children over herself.

LeGault estimated that about one-fifth of her income now goes toward monthly premium payments, emphasizing that healthcare in the United States is a business.