Originally posted 12/11/24 Iowa has around 136,000 residents enrolled in ACA exchange plans, 88% of whom are currently subsidized. I estimate they also have another ~9,600 unsubsidized off-exchange enrollees. Combined, that's over 146,000 people, although assuming the national average 6.6% net enrollment attrition rate applies, current enrollment would be down to more like 136,000 statewide. In early 2021, Congressional Democrats & President Biden passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier. They then extended the subsidy upgrade out by another 3 years via the Inflation Reduction Act. In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the upgrade eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.

Meatpacking workers at JBS plants across the country, including two in Iowa, just ratified a first-ever national contract across all plants.

Meatpacking workers at JBS plants across the country, including two in Iowa, just ratified a first-ever national contract across all plants.