Next year, Martine Locke will become uninsured.
The 55-year-old real estate agent from Irvington doesn’t want to lose her coverage. She and her wife have been paying about $670 each month for a plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace. The option, created under the Affordable Care Act — also known as Obamacare — covers people who are self-employed or aren’t offered insurance through their jobs.
But now, the couple has been priced out: their new premium will be $1,500 or more.
“I’m in shock,” Locke told Mirror Indy. “We want to pay for the policy, but it’s impossible to afford.”
Many of the 300,000 Hoosiers insured through the Marketplace are in the same boat as plans become more costly in 2026. That’s because some government subsidies that help people pay for coverage are expiring, and insurance companies in Indiana are raising premiums, on average, by 20%.
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Local advocates are sounding the alarm.
“Things are more expensive than they were five years ago,” said Susan Jo Thomas, the executive director of Covering Kids and Families, a statewide organization helping people find insurance. “People are going to make decisions. They can’t not pay rent or have food, but they could drop health insurance.”
People who are uninsured are more likely to wait to receive care until there’s an emergency, and face medical debt in the aftermath. In Marion County, about 17% of residents are already uninsured, and Indiana as a whole has one of the highest rates of medical debt in the country.
As her coverage ends, Locke plans to pay cash for regular check-ups and doctor visits. But she’s crossing her fingers, hoping she and her wife won’t suffer any major injuries or illnesses next year.
“We look after ourselves well, but you just never know,” Locke said. “The thought of medical debt wiping out everything we’ve worked for is terrifying.”
In the meantime, she’s called Sen. Todd Young and other Indiana representatives multiple times, urging them to extend the health care subsidies. After a 43-day government shutdown, the U.S. Senate is set to vote on the issue in December.
An insurance ‘death spiral’
For some on Marketplace, the new premiums won’t force them to lose coverage.
Reuben Benzel, 35, teaches at an Indianapolis high school. His employer helps pay for some of his family’s insurance plan, though he said their premiums are still going up by about 25%.
“I think I can weather this storm,” Benzel said. “But if another double-digit premium increase happens next year, it won’t be sustainable for us.”
He lays most of the blame at the feet of insurance companies and politicians.
“Our government has no plan to contain health care costs,” Benzel said. “And these companies are not advocating on the side of the patient.”
In a filing, the Indiana Department of Insurance cited the loss of Marketplace subsidies as a major reason why insurance companies across the state are raising rates.
Matthew Kubal, an Indianapolis broker, called it a death spiral.
“If premiums increase a bunch, healthy people drop out,” he told Mirror Indy. “That causes premiums to increase more. It keeps cycling like that until insurance is unaffordable for everyone.”
Some Indy residents, though, say the Marketplace has never been a good solution for them.
Rob Albright, 55, runs his own sales agency. Premiums have increased each year, he said, even though his health needs remain the same.
“I am paying for the free health care of lord knows how many people,” he said, “while not taking advantage of what I actually pay for on my own.”
Albright said the fight over subsidies is a symptom of a larger problem: insurance companies charging too much for health care.
“It shouldn’t be so expensive that you need a subsidy,” he said. “Insurance charges way more than services are worth because no one regulates them.”
Still, Albright remains on his Marketplace plan. As a small business owner, it’s his only option — and if the worst happens, he wants to be protected.
How to get help
- If you’re facing medical debt, check out Mirror Indy’s guide for finding financial assistance at hospitals.
- If you are uninsured, there are still places where you can receive health care. Check out our guide to free clinics in the city and this list of Federally Qualified Health Centers, which accept sliding scale fees.
- If you need help enrolling in health insurance, you can find a list of local navigators here or look to our guide.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Mirror Indy reporter Mary Claire Molloy covers health. Reach her at 317-721-7648 or email maryclaire.molloy@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @mcmolloy7.
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