FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alex Brown Email: alex@audreyforcongress.com
New Reports Show North State Families Face Nation-Leading Health Care Premium Increases While Rep. Doug LaMalfa Remains Missing in Action
Congressional candidate Audrey Denney says families in Northern California are being abandoned as Doug LaMalfa and Washington Republicans block renewal of ACA subsidies.
CHICO, CA — In case you missed it, two new analyses reveal that Northern California families could see some of the steepest health insurance premium increases in the entire country if Congress allows enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies to expire during the ongoing government shutdown.
According to KFF, premiums in California’s First Congressional District, represented by Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Chico), are projected to increase by 502 percent, the sixth-highest jump in the nation. The average 60-year-old couple in the district could see their monthly health insurance bill rise from about $602 to $3,625 if Congress fails to act.
After Washington Republicans shut down the government, families across Northern California could expect higher costs that will hurt older adults, small business owners, farmers, service workers, and rural families who already struggle with access to care.
“No one in the richest country on Earth should have to choose between paying their rent, feeding their family, or filling a prescription,” said educator and non-profit leader Audrey Denney (D-Chico). “Doug LaMalfa voted for a massive giveaway to billionaires that destabilized our healthcare system and shut down the government rather than protecting access to health care. Now he’s on vacation while families in his district face a 500-percent premium spike. This is a new low, even for him.”
Denney underscored that the health-care crisis is particularly acute in rural Northern California, where recent funding cuts and the closure of Glenn Medical Center have already reduced access to emergency care. She emphasized the need for leaders who will fight to strengthen and expand access, not make it harder to see a doctor.
“We can’t fix a broken system by pretending it’s fine while real people continue to struggle,” Denney added. “It’s time to strengthen the ACA, expand coverage, and move toward a healthcare system that finally puts people, not profits, first.”
Background
- KFF (Sept 2025): “Which Congressional Districts Could See the Greatest ACA Premium Payment Increases?” → CA-01 projected 502 % premium increase for a 60-year-old couple making $85,000.
- Sacramento Bee (Sept 2025): “How California health-care premiums could skyrocket if shutdown continues.” Quote: “Topping the California list … is the First District, represented by Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Chico, where premiums are expected to increase 502%, the sixth-highest jump in the nation.”
Denney’s campaign will continue highlighting the local consequences of Washington’s dysfunction, and the urgent need for accountable leadership that delivers dignity, stability, and affordable health care for every Northern California family.
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About Audrey
Audrey Denney (D) is an educator and nonprofit leader running for Congress to represent California’s First District. Rooted in Northern California, Audrey has spent her career fighting for working families, rural communities, and food security at home and abroad. She bartended to pay for college at Chico State, then began a career as a teacher before moving into nonprofit leadership focused on community resilience and food access. Audrey refuses corporate PAC money and believes politics should be about service, integrity, and people, not partisanship. With fair maps and growing grassroots momentum in a district that is poised to flip red-to-blue, she’s running to finally deliver the real representation Northern California families deserve.
