With Open Enrollment Underway, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan Joins Advocates and Parents of Premature Babies to Discuss Importance of Renewing Enhanced Premium Tax Credits

Richmond, Va. — In recognition of Prematurity Awareness Month, U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) on Wednesday joined parents, Protect Our Care Virginia, and other advocates for a virtual press conference to discuss the crucial role the Affordable Care Act plays in helping families navigate premature births and costly NICU services, which average more than $70,000 per stay.

Following a 40-day standoff, Republican lawmakers decided to pass a government funding package that does not include an extension of the enhanced Premium Tax Credits (EPTCs) for people who purchase their insurance through an Affordable Care Act marketplace. As a result, Virginia residents are experiencing sticker shock this open enrollment season as they look to sign up for a plan for 2026. If the tax credits are not renewed, 106,000 people are expected to drop out of the Virginia Marketplace.  

“No one plans to have a premature baby, I certainly didn’t, but it can happen to anybody, and we need to make sure that those families are insured,” saidCongresswoman McClellan, who, as a state legislator, championed legislation to create the Virginia Marketplace. “Preterm birth is preventable, but we have to make sure that moms are healthy before they get pregnant and can get the care that they need. And when they face prematurity, they should not have to worry about who’s going to pay the cost, the $70,000 average cost for a NICU bill should not be what those parents have to focus on. They should be focusing on the care their child receives and for the mom, recovery.”

“Twenty-six years ago, during this time of the year, my family sat worried about the well-being of my daughter, who was born 23 weeks premature,” saidDr. Deneen Evans, PhD, LCSW of Roanoke County, whose adult daughter has had lifelong medical costs associated with her premature birth.“Those babies that are born that early are considered micro-preemies, and their chances of survival are extremely low … We need to also focus on the long-term consequences. It’s important for us to understand if they don’t start out healthy, and we’re not getting health care for these mothers and children, it is going to be a long-term problem, and a problem that’s going to stress society long-term when you have people that have to depend on services in order to navigate and live healthy.” 

“I think the hardest moment was actually having to walk out of the hospital without a baby, no one really prepares you for that. You have this idea in your head that, ‘hey, you get to carry the car seat out,’ and when you don’t get that moment, that’s pretty tough,” saidKristen Clardy of Washington, D.C., who is transitioning to an Affordable Care Act plan so that she can be a stay-at-home-mom. “Once we actually looked at it, we realized that the Marketplace health plans were actually pretty affordable, and it turned out that they were actually even cheaper than my husband’s employer-sponsored coverage. So we decided that I would leave work and we would get Marketplace health coverage for myself and the kids. Of course, that was just a couple weeks before the premiums skyrocketed. So now we are facing about somewhere between an $800 and $900 premium increase for next year, which is not exactly part of the budget that we had in mind when I decided to leave my job.”

“There is a reason that Black women are more than twice as likely to die of childbirth as white women, and that Black babies are 57% more likely to be preterm than white babies,” saidKenda Denia, executive director of Birth in Color. “That is where good quality health insurance comes in. Right now, health care is a privilege and not a right. NICU care can leave a family completely bankrupt, and children born prematurely may not be able to access the follow-up care they need weeks, months and years after being born. That is why keeping the Affordable Care Act enhanced Premium Tax Credits and restoring Medicaid funds are essential. If Congress fails to act, thousands of Virginians will be left uninsured, and we will have lost this essential tool in the fight to fix the maternal health crisis.”

“Postpartum Support Virginia is the only organization in the Commonwealth whose sole focus is perinatal mental health,” saidAmy Hammond, executive director of Postpartum Support Virginia. “We have the honor of walking with families who experience preterm birth as they navigate the emotional trauma surrounding the birth of their preterm babies. Pregnant people experiencing mental health issues are at a 50% greater risk of giving preterm birth. A parent who gives birth prematurely is 40% more likely to develop depressive symptoms compared to parents of full-term babies. Mothers of babies who spend time in the NICU have up to a 70% risk of developing postpartum depression, compared to 10 to 15% of mothers of full-term babies. We ask you today to protect the lives of mothers and babies. Please join us in advocating to save the ACA tax credits that keep families insured in Virginia so that no mother and baby are left without access to the care that they require.”

“No mother should have to be concerned about a seven-figure hospital bill while recovering from birth and caring for their child in the NICU,” saidAlexis N. McDonald of Virginia Beach. “The first time that I had held Grace was 12 days after she was born. To give you an idea, the first time we were able to touch her was seven days after she was born. We were able to stick our hand inside the isolette. And so I then went home one week after my C-section and entered her nursery. It was empty. I hadn’t finished nesting. There were still things in boxes. Our family were sending gifts. That is the hardest pain that a mother can know is to enter their child’s room or even to leave the hospital, and that baby is not there. There’s no crying, there’s no bottles being made. So what I will say is we need to renew these tax credits because no parent, no mother, no father, should experience this at all.”

“Having [Affordable Care Act] health insurance gave me peace of mind to have the proper care for a healthy pregnancy, birthing my beautiful baby boy, and postpartum check-ups,” saidRonni Moss of Richmond. “Before this Big Ugly Bill, my monthly insurance premium was around $117. To continue the same coverage starting in January 2026, the monthly premium will be over $400. That is not affordable in any way, considering the ever-increasing cost of groceries, other living expenses … families like mine cannot afford to pay quadruple the cost for health insurance. I’m calling on Congress to renew the enhanced Premium Tax Credits so that all families can be insured when they welcome a baby, including a premature baby.” 

[My son] was about five and a half, six weeks early,” saidMonica Edwards of Charlottesville. “My placenta ruptured. I fell celebrating my birthday. I fell at a restaurant, and about an hour and a half later, I’m rushed into emergency C-section, delivering my son. And so thankfully, I had Medicaid, and so I didn’t have the heavy of having to worry about the cost and things of that nature. Being able to have affordable health care, or just being able to have Medicaid, it is a lifesaver. It’s literally life and death and I would rather have the attention on making sure my family and my babies are healthy and not worrying about how to get money.”

You can watch the full event HERE.