Rising Premiums Push Idaho Doctors and Nurses to Abandon Health Coverage
An Idaho physician couple and a Boise nurse say soaring ACA marketplace premiums forced them to drop coverage and rely on savings.
When Joshua and Ashley Durham launched their Boise family-medicine clinic in late 2023, they purchased ACA marketplace coverage for themselves and two children, but this year’s premiums rose to almost $1,600 a month, prompting them to rely on a $50,000 health-savings account and drop insurance. Their situation is echoed by nurse practitioner Samantha LeGault, whose employer-provided plan surged from $700 to $1,500 monthly, forcing her to cut dental coverage and tighten household budgets.
Nationwide data show 7% of healthcare workers lacked insurance in 2024, up from lower historic levels, while only 2% of physicians are uninsured. The Republican-led Congress’s decision not to renew pandemic-era ACA credits and forecasts of an 8.2% premium increase for 2027 exacerbate affordability challenges, especially for small-business practices represented by the Association for Independent Medicine. Bioethicist Arthur Caplan suggests the growing reliance on self-treatment may require revisiting medical ethics codes. As premiums climb, some employers may shift toward higher wages or minimal plans, risking a further rise in the uninsured rate.
Why it matters
Escalating insurance costs threaten both providers and patients, potentially widening gaps in U.S. healthcare access.
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