Monthly healthcare payments increased for millions of Americans after COVID-19-era subsidies under the Affordable Care Act ended on Jan. 1.

Calcutta resident Randall Schneider says his monthly payments increased from $225 to $1,200 per month.

"We couldn't pay our electric bill, we couldn't get our groceries for Christmas, it blindsided us," he said.

Schneider received a liver and double kidney transplant two and a half years ago which forced him to medically retire.

He is cared for by his wife Kimberly Schneider who claims she does not have her own health insurance to afford her husband's healthcare policy.

"I'm just praying nothing comes up, it's that everything we've had has just been keeping him healthy, " she said.

Randall Schneider is currently on anti-rejection medication and regularly gets tested.

In 2025, 583,443 Ohioans were enrolled under the Affordable Care Act, according to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio.

John Woods, president of Insurance Navigators in Warren, says that he expects many people across the Mahoning Valley to not purchase health insurance due to the previous increased cost compounded with the end of subsidies.

"An Affordable Care Act plan could have an $8500 deductible with over $10,000 maximum out of pocket, and that's not affordable for anybody in my opinion," he said.

Woods adds that uninsured people who need treatment always pay more out of pocket for hospital visits than those with health insurance.

"If you're in a bad car accident, or suddenly, tragically at 25 you get diagnosed with cancer, that could be tens of thousands of dollars," he said.

There are 4,537 Columbiana county residents, 10,655 Mahoning county residents, and 8,629 Trumbull county residents who were insured under the ACA in 2025 according to ACA Open Enrollment Public use data.