November 1st marks the start of ACA open enrollment—and this year, it’s one of the most unaffordable and uncertain periods we’ve seen. Republicans refuse to come to the table and extend subsidies that have made health care more affordable for 140,000 Iowans.
On Cornhole Champions, host Zachary Oren Smith sat down with Chase Seibert and Liz Fleming to talk about how this is part of a bigger story of taking away resources form normal people.
Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line with music by Avery Mossman and show art by Desirée Tapia. We are a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative.
*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
0:00 – ACA open enrollment starts November 1st: what you need to know
1:00 – Chase and Liz on being self-employed and relying on the ACA
3:00 – Why the ACA is a Band-Aid solution (but losing it makes things worse)
4:00 – Amber Gustafson’s story: paying out of pocket before the ACA
6:00 – Republicans shut down the government over healthcare subsidies
7:30 – Premiums are jumping 114% when subsidies expire
9:00 – The false choice: “illegal alien healthcare” vs feeding kids
*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
– YouTube – https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2LsUFhizO07jdk5Wav4mOT7tArltF8z5&si=FryZd7N7tG5tJ5Ju
– Substack – https://cornholechampions.substack.com/
– Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cornhole-champions-podcast/id1779497714
– Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/5rzNpiA4IwgLmxbyrhETY6?si=6c4a527fa9ad4f64
– PocketCasts – https://pca.st/74atty1j
… and everywhere you listen to podcasts
*FOLLOW ZACHARY OREN SMITH ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
– Twitter – https://x.com/zacharyos
– Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/zacharyosmith
– Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/zacharyos.bsky.social
– Threads – https://www.threads.com/@zachosmith
– LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyos/
*FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
– Twitter – https://twitter.com/iastartingline
– Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IowaStartingLine
– TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@iowastartingline
– Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/iowastartingline
– YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@UCXN791Qw5opBRLyvTWYl43w
Support Our Cause
Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Iowans and our future.
Since day one, our goal here at Iowa Starting Line has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Iowan families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.
WATCH: The truth behind the Iowa GOP’s misleading school funding claims
Every year, Iowa Republicans announce a school funding increase. Every year, it doesn’t keep up with inflation. After a decade, schools are $270...
WATCH: Iowa farmers say tariffs are devastating farm economy
Iowa farmers describe the growing crisis facing family farms as tariffs drive up input costs and gut export markets. “There’s no plan,” said...
WATCH: Farmer: Trump’s tariffs ‘undermine our rural way of life’
President Donald Trump has enacted sweeping tariffs on imported goods, igniting trade disputes and disrupting global markets. Some Iowa farmers are...
WATCH: Iowa GOP fears losing, wants to kneecap the next governor
Iowa Republicans are trying to strip the next governor's powers before the election even happens. They've done it before.
WATCH: Iowa Republicans voted for a bill that makes it harder for women to vote
Iowa’s House delegation voted for the SAVE Act—a bill that makes registering to vote harder for the 69 million women whose birth certificates don’t...
WATCH: Nathan Sage suspends US Senate campaign, endorses Josh Turek
US Marine and Army veteran Nathan Sage suspended his campaign for US Senate and endorsed primary opponent and Iowa Rep. Josh Turek.
