Originally published in The Richmond Times-Dispatch on October 20, 2025.
On November 1st, open enrollment starts for the tens of millions of Americans who get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces. But those who have not been watching the news closely will get sticker shock: insurance premiums that are more than double, on average, what they were last year. In Virginia, a new report finds this could be as high as an additional $1,000 per month for some families.
That’s because this summer, the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act set in motion a selective, staggered demolition of health insurance, despite strong public opposition. The first blasts are about to go off, and many Virginians will be damaged unless Republican officials defuse the situation.