Dear Health Advocates,

The government shutdown is in its second week and Congress still hasn’t acted to make the enhanced premium tax credits permanent, putting affordable health care for more than 20 million people at risk. The House remains adjourned and the Senate is voting on continuing resolution proposals that don't have enough support to pass.

Meanwhile, Marketplace consumers have begun to receive notices that their premiums will spike next year if the enhanced tax credits aren't extended. This is why it's important we continue to call on leadership in both parties to come together and extend the premium tax credits. Kicking this can down the road to later this year will only tighten the timeline to pass an extension, and by then, many Americans may be deterred from enrolling in coverage because of high costs. Join us in sending a message to your member TODAY to tell Congress: Extend the tax credits and lower health care costs now.

Fall Campaign to Protect Health Care Call

Please join Community Catalyst, CBPP, NHeLP and Families USA for our next Fall Campaign to Protect Health Care Call on Thursday, October 9 at 2 p.m. ET. On the call, we will discuss the current federal landscape and the need to meet the urgency of the moment to mobilize advocates and community members to lift their stories to help members of Congress and the public better understand what is at stake if Congress doesn’t act to make the current ePTCs permanent and reverse H.R. 1’s health care cuts. We’ll walk through our October 14-17 Week of Action resources and hear from state partners on how they continue to stay engaged in this important fight. Depending on where we are in the process we will also provide time to review how the shutdown may impact Medicaid and other vital government programs. Find more information here.

Week of Action

Please join Families USA, Community Catalyst and other national and state partners the week of October 14th to demand action. You can find new and updated resources here.

Tuesday, October 14: 24 Hours of Digital Power
- Email and tag your Members of Congress. Share stories online. Join our BlueSky chat on premium tax credits.
Wednesday, October 15: Connect Directly with Congress and Community
- Host or attend an event with your Members of Congress or with local supporters and experts, like Navigators. Host a direct call-in day to Members of Congress.
Thursday, October 16: Media Madness
- We’ll provide tools throughout the week to engage reporters and keep premium tax credits -- and stories about the impact of rising health care costs -- in the news.
Friday, October 17: Building Power with Thanks: We Can’t Stop Here
- Close out the week by sharing photos, emails, and stories from the actions and keep the momentum going.

Health Action Conference

We also want to remind you that registration for Health Action Conference 2026 is OPEN! The conference will be held from January 22-23 here in Washington, DC at the Capital Hilton. Whether you're a HAC veteran or a first-timer, we hope you can join other dynamic health advocates from across the country to strengthen the movement for health and health care justice.

Find more details and register here. We also ask that you fill out our pre-conference survey to help us make HAC even better for advocates like you!

HAC Registration

Pre-Conference Survey

THIS WEEK! Day of Action
- Please join Popular Democracy and our network of 47 affiliates in 32 states to conduct in-district actions on Wednesday, October 8, in locations that help tell the story of the unfolding healthcare crisis, such as at-risk community hospitals and clinics, HIV and addiction treatment centers, nursing homes, etc. We need to lift up the stories of those who are already seeing their ACA premiums rise and how the Republican cuts to Medicaid will impact our communities. Find more information here.
Take Action: Send an email to your Senators and Representatives asking them to prioritize affordability in the budget bill!
Petition: Sign the petition to stop the attacks on the Title X Family Planning Program, Power to Decide.
Call to Action: Please join Families USA and Tell Your Members of Congress: Health Care Cuts Are Unacceptable: Email Writing Campaign

UPDATED! Fact Sheet: The Importance of Premium Tax Credits: Affording Health Insurance Coast to Coast, Families USA.
NEW! Insights Blog: What the Government Shutdown Debate is Really About: Health Care Tax Credits for Working Class Americans, Families USA.
NEW! Fact Sheet: Fact Checking Immigrants, Health Care, and the 2025 Tax and Budget Law, Families USA.
NEW! REPORT: TANF Is a Vital Resource for People Facing Hardship but Needs to Reach More Families, CBPP.

TODAY! Webinar
- Join the Coalition on Human Needs on Tuesday, October 7 at 4:00 PM ET, for a timely webinar examining how the ongoing shutdown is disrupting essential services and supports for low-income individuals and families. We’ll walk through how different federal departments and agencies are handling the shutdown, what services are halted or scaled back, and how communities across the country are being affected. Register here.
THIS WEEK! Fall Campaign to Protect Health Care Call
- Please join Community Catalyst, CBPP, NHeLP and Families USA for our next Fall Campaign to Protect Health Care Call on Thursday, October 9 at 2 p.m. ET. Find more information here.
Advocates Meeting: Wednesday Advocates Meeting Zoom call, Coalition on Human Needs hosting every Wednesday at 9:30 AM ET.
Shared Advocacy Calendar: Coalition on Human Needs. Check out weeks of action and upcoming events!