WASHINGTON — During the last few months of the year, Virginia Hutchinson is trying to get in as many medical appointments as she can before her insurance premiums are expected to rise next year.

As an administrative assistant at a small, family owned business in Birmingham, the Affordable Care Act marketplace allows Hutchinson to have health insurance she wouldn’t have been able to receive otherwise. She also benefits from the enhanced premium tax credits, which save her nearly $300 per month.

“I couldn’t afford my current policy without the tax credit,” Hutchinson told Alabama Daily News. “So if the tax credit goes away and the premium increases, I mean, that would be hundreds of dollars more a month.”

Hutchinson opted for a gold plan because of her medical needs. She currently pays a

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