(NewsNation) — As the debate over the future of Affordable Care Act subsidies continues, Yale economics professor Zack Cooper argues they should be extended.
In an op-ed for the New York Times, Cooper wrote that surging health care spending is “bankrupting families and shredding jobs for low- and middle-income workers across the economy.”
Cooper told “Morning in America” there are two big numbers that stick out to him heading into 2026.
“If you’re a family of four, insurance premiums next year are about $27,000 — you can get a pretty nice car for $27,000 — and they’re slated to go up another 10, 15%,” Cooper said. “It’s not enough to talk about making health care affordable. We really have to do it.”
Cooper said 20 million Americans will see their premiums go up next year, with an estimated 4 million set to lose their health insurance entirely. He argued extending the subsidies is a necessary step in the short term.
“Extending them is kind of like a tourniquet, right? It stops the bleeding. It doesn’t address the underlying problem,” Cooper said. “My hope is, once you take some of the pressure off, it gives us the airspace to talk about how you reduce, how you make premiums more affordable out there.”
President Donald Trump has placed the blame for the price hikes squarely on the shoulders of insurance companies. Cooper argues a bipartisan conversation is needed to solve this problem.
“Premiums are going to go up, and it’s easier to vilify them than to solve the problem,” Cooper said. “Let’s extend these subsidies. Let’s keep people insured, and then let’s say, look, health care costs are bankrupting folks across the country. Let’s come together on a bipartisan basis and talk about the fixes to make health care affordable.”