Health insurance tax cut could end unless Congress acts

Health insurance tax cut could end unless Congress acts

Author: The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com October 1, 2025 Duration: 19:23
A key hang up causing the government shutdown involves a pandemic-era provision for Americans impacting health insurance and medical bills. Currently, about 300,000 Arizonans earn too much to receive Medicaid help, but don't have affordable insurance options through work. This group has qualified for subsidies that cut their insurance costs from the Affordable Care Act insurers since 2021. This relief stops at the end of the year unless Congress moves to extend it, and if aid ends, Arizonans face premium hikes that could jump by nearly $500 per month. This week on The Gaggle, we talk with Will Humble, former state health director. Email us! thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tik Tok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest: ⁠Will Humble Host: ⁠⁠Ron Hansen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Producer: ⁠⁠⁠Amanda Luberto⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every Wednesday morning, The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast cuts through the noise to focus on a single issue shaping life in the state. Hosted by The Arizona Republic’s national political reporters Ron Hansen and Stephanie Murray, and produced by Amanda Luberto, this isn't just a recap of headlines. Instead, the conversation goes deeper with a guest-a politician, a journalist, or another key public figure-to unpack the real-world implications of a policy, a vote, or a debate. You’ll hear how decisions made at the capitol or in city halls ripple out to affect communities, schools, and wallets. The discussion is grounded in the expertise of the Republic’s newsroom, offering clarity and context that’s often missing from the daily churn. For anyone trying to understand the forces directing Arizona’s future, this weekly podcast provides an essential, focused look at the mechanics of state politics and government, making the complex both accessible and relevant. It’s a straightforward guide to what’s happening, who’s involved, and why it all matters for your day-to-day.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast
Podcast Episodes
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos' web of half-truths [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:25
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is quickly becoming more well-known after facing national scrutiny for how his department has handled the unsolved disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. In light of that, The Arizona Republic un…
Why Trump is visiting Phoenix so early in the 2026 midterm cycle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:31
President Donald Trump is set to be the main speaker at Turning Point's "Build the Red Wall" event on April 17. Trump's appearance will kick off the midterm election season in Arizona, a battleground state that has candi…
Adrian Fontes wants you to know your mail-in ballot is safe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:57
As we approach the 2026 midterms, the next big fight in the election process is already brewing. Trump rolled out an executive order intended to limit mail-in voting to people screened by the Postal Service and the Depar…
Inside Maricopa County's elections feud [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:28
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and County Recorder Justin Heap have been in a bitter legal battle for months on who is in charge of what parts of the election process. They continue to fight over minute details…
The reality of data centers on Arizona's economy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:27
The polarization over data center expansion is one of the best examples of the new business climate in Arizona. Some want the state to be on the forefront of the "AI revolution" while others aren't sold on it's economic…
You can now bet on politics, but is it legal? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:56
These days you can bet on just about anything from the palm of your hand: pocket cash on the outcome of an Arizona Diamondbacks game or the Super Bowl. But now, you can also win money betting on politics. Gamblers can wa…
Why Trump is dipping back into 2020 ballots [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:12
The 2020 election is apparently still not over. President Donald Trump has two states that he hasn't gotten over losing, Arizona and Georgia, under his conspiratorial microscope again. Tusli Gabbard, the FBI and the US J…
Arizona and the Epstein files [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:24
Jeffery Epstein has dominated attention seven years after his death. His wealth, social circles and varied interests ensured the digital trail of his life would lead in many directions. But not many could have guessed th…
Rare Arizona program lets non-lawyers own law firms [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:00
Lawyers are there with guaranteed expertise to help sort out your issues, even when time and money can be scarce. But the guaranteed expertise doesn't necessarily go all the way to the top. At least not in Arizona. Now t…
ICE raids lead to questions about Arizona's employment law [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:00
In late January, Homeland Security agents raided 15 locations of Valley sports bar Zipps after receiving a tip 11 months beforehand that they were employing undocumented immigrants. E-Verify was set up in 2008 to bar the…