Fact check: Did John James vote to increase health costs for Michiganders?

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson criticized US Rep. John James, saying he cast votes that increased healthcare costs for Michiganders
Benson and James are running in a heated election to be the state’s next governor
James supported the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ which is expected to trim Medicaid rolls, and has voted against extending enhanced ACA tax credits

Affordability and cost of living are some of the biggest issues on the minds of voters in the race for Michigan’s next governor. That includes the rising cost of healthcare.

Early in her general election campaign, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, used GOP Rep. John James’ time in the US House against him, telling a crowd of supporters that he voted to increase healthcare costs for Michiganders.

That claim is among several that Bridge Michigan is reviewing in the state’s gubernatorial race between James and Benson. The winner will succeed Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is term-limited.

So what’s true about James’ votes and healthcare costs?

The claim

During a campaign speech in August, Benson criticized James as someone who won’t fight for Michiganders and positioned herself as the candidate who will.

The campaign posted a section of her speech on Instagram, in a clip that led with her comments about James’ healthcare votes.

“He’s already shown us who he’s fighting for,” Benson said. “You know, he voted not once, not twice, but three times to raise healthcare costs for hundreds of thousands of Michiganders.”

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Benson’s campaign pointed Bridge to James’ votes for President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act and against enhanced premium tax credits for healthcare plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act as the actions she was referencing in the speech.

“Jocelyn will take on private insurers, lower healthcare costs, and expand access to care so every Michigander can see a doctor, no matter their ZIP code — and she’ll keep calling out John James for his reprehensible record of doing the opposite,” Deputy Campaign Manager Alyssa Bradley wrote in a statement.

Alyvia Bailey, a spokesperson for the James campaign, did not return a message seeking comment for this story.

James’ votes and healthcare costs

In 2025, James voted in favor of Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” sweeping legislation that promised more tax breaks and border security but less spending on Medicaid and food assistance.

The federal government’s spending on Medicaid hit $594 billion in fiscal 2024. The legislation aimed to trim government spending by imposing work requirements for some Medicaid beneficiaries 19-64 years old who are part of the so-called “Medicaid expansion.” The bill also will increase out-of-pocket costs for some recipients by implementing a mandatory $35 per-service cost-sharing fee.

Analysts also cited provisions of the legislation to explain why they expect ACA Marketplace premiums to increase in 2027.

In December 2025, James voted in favor of a bill that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated would increase premiums for some people on ACA plans and result in others dropping their coverage due to changes in eligibility for tax credits. The legislation did not pass in the Senate.

And in January, James and the rest of Michigan’s GOP House members voted against reactivating enhanced insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, the Detroit News reported.

In a social media post the day of the vote, James wrote that “Democrats are flailing, selling your health & kids’ futures by extending COVID-era Obamacare handouts to billion-dollar insurers – for just 7% of Americans!

“My solution: Price transparency for CHEAPER, BETTER healthcare for 100% of Americans!”

Premium increases in 2027 will come after the large increases for ACA plans in 2026.

KFF, a nonprofit focused on healthcare research that has a connection with KFF Health News, found that in 2026, premium payments from ACA enrollees went up, on average, by 58%.

In 2027, premium rate increases among ACA Marketplace plans in Michigan could range from 12.5% to 25.5%.

In 2025, more than 500,000 people in Michigan had health coverage through the Marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act, according to KFF. That number dropped to 497,064 in 2026.

The bottom line

Analysts and researchers have connected increased premiums for people covered by plans purchased through the Marketplace to several factors, including the passage of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” and the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits.

During his time in Congress, James voted in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and twice against continuations of ACA tax credits as they had previously been set.