I just received notice of an 11% increase in the premium for my supplemental Medicare insurance. It's frustrating—but I can afford it. Many in New Jersey’s 7th District cannot.

Employers are facing 8%–9% hikes in health insurance costs. Individuals who buy coverage on their own can expect 7% increases. Some insurers are already requesting premium hikes of 15% or more for 2026, especially for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans.

Making matters worse, President Trump’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill”—which Congressman Tom Kean Jr. supported—fails to extend the ACA subsidies set to expire in 2025. Without those subsidies, nearly 20 million Americans could see their out-of-pocket premiums spike by 75% or more. Many will be forced to give up coverage altogether.

The same bill slashes Medicaid, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates will cause 7.8 million people to lose coverage. Add in those who will lose access to ACA plans, and we’re looking at 11 to 17 million newly uninsured Americans. The national uninsured rate could jump from today’s 8% to 14% or higher—erasing 15 years of hard-won progress.

All of this in a nation that spends 17.5% of its GDP on healthcare—far more than any peer country—yet delivers a life expectancy four years shorter than theirs.

Is this what Congressman Kean believes is acceptable? Does he think tens of millions of Americans, including thousands here in the 7th District, are unworthy of healthcare? Is this the "American exceptionalism" he claims to support?

Frustration with our broken healthcare system is one of the biggest sources of public anger. Instead of passing the buck, Congressman Kean should stand up and act to fix it.

Write to him. Call him. Let him know we are watching—and we will hold him accountable in 2026.