Robert and Emily Sory are a couple who live in Thompson Station, Tennessee, and are passionate about animals. They are starting an animal sanctuary at their home, which is currently home to a variety of animals, including a blind raccoon, Russian foxes, African porcupines, emus, bobcats, and goats. However, despite their love for animals, the Sorys are facing a difficult decision regarding their own health insurance. In 2026, they will no longer have health insurance, as the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced subsidies are expiring, and they cannot afford the new premium costs.<\/p>\n
Robert had previously been covered through a marketplace plan subsidized by the Affordable Care Act, but when he looked up the rates for 2026, he found that even a basic “Bronze” plan would cost him at least $70 a month. With no income coming in, he decided to forgo coverage altogether. Emily, who lost her job and insurance in November, is also facing the same challenge. She has costly health conditions and has already accumulated significant medical debt.<\/p>\n
The Sorys are not alone in their situation. An estimated 4.8 million people are expected to lose their health insurance in 2026 due to the expiration of the enhanced subsidies. Many of them, like the Sorys, are looking for alternative ways to access medical care. The Sorys have met with their psychiatrist, who has agreed to charge them $125 per visit, and they are hoping to go every three months to keep their prescriptions current.<\/p>\n
Hospitals and clinics are also preparing for the influx of newly uninsured patients. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) like the Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center in Nashville offer lower-cost care on a sliding scale, and some have on-site pharmacies that provide free prescription medications to those in need. The Dispensary of Hope, a Nashville-based nonprofit, partners with FQHCs and hospital pharmacies to provide free medications to people without insurance who have annual incomes under 300% of the federal poverty limit.<\/p>\n
However, the demand for these services is expected to outstrip supply in the new year. Ten states, including Tennessee, have not expanded Medicaid to cover low-income adults, leaving a significant gap in coverage. The impact of this gap is expected to be most acute in states that have not expanded Medicaid, with uninsured rates expected to jump by as much as 65% in Mississippi and 50% in South Carolina.<\/p>\n
The Sorys are aware of the challenges they will face without health insurance, but they are trying to stay positive and focus on their animal sanctuary. Emily, who has experience in healthcare staffing, understands the system and feels bad about not being able to pay her medical bills. However, she simply cannot afford it. The Sorys’ story highlights the difficulties faced by many Americans who are struggling to access affordable healthcare, and the need for a more comprehensive and sustainable solution to the country’s healthcare crisis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Robert and Emily Sory are a couple who live in Thompson Station, Tennessee, and are passionate about animals. They are starting an animal sanctuary at their home, which is currently home to a variety of animals, including a blind raccoon, Russian foxes, African porcupines, emus, bobcats, and goats. However, despite their love for animals, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-222463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-care","category-insurance"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9ibIB-VS7","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":222659,"url":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/2026\/01\/13\/millions-of-americans-are-anticipated-to-discontinue-their-affordable-care-act-plans-seeking-alternative-health-insurance-options\/","url_meta":{"origin":222463,"position":0},"title":"Millions of Americans are anticipated to discontinue their Affordable Care Act plans, seeking alternative health insurance options.","author":"Team Small News","date":"January 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"In Thompson's Station, Tennessee, Robert and Emily Sory are trying to open a nonprofit animal sanctuary, but they have forgone health insurance this year due to the unaffordability of marketplace plans under the Affordable Care Act. The Sorys, who lost their jobs in November, cannot afford the $70 monthly premium\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Care"","block_context":{"text":"Care","link":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/category\/care\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":222662,"url":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/2026\/01\/14\/fewer-americans-are-enrolling-in-affordable-care-act-aca-health-insurance-plans-as-the-cost-of-coverage-increases\/","url_meta":{"origin":222463,"position":1},"title":"Fewer Americans are enrolling in Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance plans as the cost of coverage increases.","author":"Team Small News","date":"January 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The number of Americans signing up for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance plans has decreased by 3.5% compared to the same time last year, with around 800,000 fewer people selecting plans. This decline is attributed to the expiration of enhanced tax credits, which has led to higher health expenses\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Care"","block_context":{"text":"Care","link":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/category\/care\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":222654,"url":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/2026\/01\/12\/the-affordable-care-act-aca-subsidies-crisis-is-prompting-individuals-to-explore-alternative-solutions-for-health-insurance-as-reported-by-npr\/","url_meta":{"origin":222463,"position":2},"title":"The Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies crisis is prompting individuals to explore alternative solutions for health insurance, as reported by NPR.","author":"Team Small News","date":"January 12, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The rising cost of healthcare in the US has led some Americans to make drastic decisions to manage their expenses. Mathew, a 40-year-old man from Michigan, is one such individual who has taken a significant step to ensure he can afford his medical care. Due to his autoimmune disease, Mathew\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Care"","block_context":{"text":"Care","link":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/category\/care\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":222658,"url":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/2026\/01\/13\/whitehouse-slotkin-and-schakowsky-have-introduced-a-public-health-insurance-option-for-the-affordable-care-act\/","url_meta":{"origin":222463,"position":3},"title":"Whitehouse, Slotkin, and Schakowsky have introduced a public health insurance option for the Affordable Care Act.","author":"Team Small News","date":"January 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"US Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Elissa Slotkin, along with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, have introduced the Affordable Consumer Health Options and Insurance Competition Enhancement (CHOICE) Act. This legislation aims to add a publicly operated health insurance option to the Affordable Care Act's individual marketplaces, providing 27 million Americans with a high-quality,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Care"","block_context":{"text":"Care","link":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/category\/care\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":222573,"url":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/2026\/01\/02\/millions-of-americans-face-steep-health-insurance-hikes-as-affordable-care-act-subsidies-expire\/","url_meta":{"origin":222463,"position":4},"title":"Millions of Americans face steep health insurance hikes as Affordable Care Act subsidies expire.","author":"Team Small News","date":"January 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax subsidies, which have helped millions of Americans pay for health coverage, have expired as of the end of 2025. This expiration is expected to significantly impact the over 20 million subsidized enrollees in the ACA program, who will now face rising premium costs. According\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Care"","block_context":{"text":"Care","link":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/category\/care\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":222630,"url":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/2026\/01\/09\/new-mexico-congresswoman-celebrates-house-passage-of-health-care-insurance-subsidies\/","url_meta":{"origin":222463,"position":5},"title":"New Mexico congresswoman celebrates House passage of health care insurance subsidies.","author":"Team Small News","date":"January 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"New Mexico Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez is celebrating the passage of a bill in the US House of Representatives that extends health care insurance subsidies for millions of Americans. The bill, which was passed with bipartisan support, aims to reduce the cost of health insurance premiums for individuals and families\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Care"","block_context":{"text":"Care","link":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/category\/care\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222463\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=222463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=222463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}