Rep. Neguse Shares Story of Colorado Small Business Owner Facing 300% Health Care Premium Hike

Lafayette, CO — In case you missed it, during House Democrat’s Steering and Policy Committee Meeting on Health Care Cost Increases, Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse underscored the devastating impacts of the Republican-manufactured healthcare crisis by sharing the story of a small business owner in Gunbarrel named Leslie.

 

Right now, Leslie and her husband pay around $600 per month for health care through the small business exchange. But, if Republicans allow Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits to lapse, their insurance provider notified them that they should expect monthly premiums for 2026 to increase to approximately $1,900 — three times the current rate.

 

“Republicans in Washington are pushing health care out of reach for Americans across the country, and sadly folks right here in Colorado are not exempt. Leslie and her husband are just one story out of the many small business owners and families in our state whose monthly bills are set to double — or even triple — unless Congress acts. It shocks the conscience that our neighbors — including those battling cancer, facing serious health challenges, and otherwise — will no longer be able to afford what could be lifesaving care. This isn’t politics. This is life and death. And I would implore my colleagues across the aisle to get serious about working with Democrats to address the healthcare crisis they created,” said Congressman Joe Neguse. 

 

Watch Rep. Neguse’s full remarks in the Steering and Policy Committee Meeting HERE. 

 

View a video clip regarding Leslie’s story HERE.

 

How Did We Get Here? 

 

In July 2025, Congressional Republicans, under the direction of the Trump administration, enacted the Big Ugly Law, triggering $536 billion in Medicare cuts and stripping support for rural hospitals like those located throughout Colorado’s Western Slope communities. Now, rather than working with Democrats to address the health care crisis they created and ensure an extension for ACA tax credits small businesses and families rely on, Republicans have shut down the federal government with Speaker Mike Johnson refusing to even call the House back into session.