I feel it is important that people understand how we got to where we are now.
At the end of 2025, the federal government shut down because Democrat and Republican leadership couldn’t agree on appropriations legislation for the year 2026. Democrats wanted the Affordable Care Act, the act that helps people pay for health insurance in a time of extreme premiums, to be able to continue to provide this funding. Republicans drew a line in the sand and would not agree to any bill that continued funding the ACA, despite Democrats providing several alternative rewrites.
At the time of writing this, a replacement for the ACA still hasn’t been implemented. Signups for 2026 health insurance have long closed, forcing many states to come up with their own ways to help provide health insurance. People not living in these states are forced to either buy extremely expensive health insurance for the year, or attempt to live without health insurance entirely. 1.4 million fewer people enrolled in health insurance through their ACA marketplace this year. Assuming a new health care act does actually come eventually, a competent leader would have had a new system ready before getting rid of the one that was already in place.
Speaking of which, Colorado Governor Jared Polis saw this coming and signed HB25B-1006 in 2025, which seamlessly replaced the ACA as the provider for our tax credits when the federal government failed to continue providing them. These funds now come from Colorado’s coffers instead of those of the federal government, which also threatens funding for local things like roads and schools. In short: the taxes we pay to the federal government are no longer helping us to afford our healthcare.
Most people who signed up for insurance on the Colorado Marketplace are likely not even aware of how Polis helped them. I am type 1 diabetic and need regular doses of insulin to stay alive. My health insurance plan costs $300 a month, but without HB25B-1006, it would have skyrocketed to $2000 a month. I could have been in real trouble without the timely action of our governor.
When asked about a possible new healthcare act, Trump likes to tell people “The government is going to pay the money directly to you.” However, he never has many other details to share about things like an enrollment system, delivery system, or who would qualify, which are all very important as they would determine whether the program actually works or not.
You won’t hear me say that the ACA was perfect, or even very good. It was a bandage on top of a larger societal problem that still needs to be addressed. But it was better than the nothing the federal government gave us to replace it.
By axing the ACA, providing no replacement, and forcing Colorado to cover tax credits for its own people, Trump has crippled Colorado, leaving us with a $1.2 billion budget shortfall. Colorado is now rapidly draining its reserves to cover for the loss of the federal government’s support.
These are the kinds of things on which we are told money is being overspent. Don’t let yourself be tricked into voting against your own self-interest.
