Economist and Entrepreneur Adrienne Hinds Explains Why Premium Tax Credits Are Key to a Healthy Workforce and Strong Economy

Adrienne Hinds— an economist, sociologist, and entrepreneur based in Nashville— sees healthcare not just as a personal necessity, but as a cornerstone of economic stability. With a career spanning corporate America, academia, and now her nonprofit consulting firm, Adrienne brings a distinctive blend of professional expertise and lived experience to the conversation around healthcare policy.

She is particularly concerned about the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). These credits make health insurance affordable for thousands of independent and self-employed workers across Tennessee. Without them, premiums for ACA Marketplace plans will soar, putting coverage out of reach for many individuals and families.

Adrienne points to the rise of vocational and technical careers— plumbing, welding, and electrical work—as examples of essential yet physically demanding jobs that keep the economy running. Workers in these fields, she notes, rely on consistent access to healthcare to stay productive. “What happens when they get sick and can’t afford to see a doctor?” she asks.

“People need access to affordable or free healthcare in order to even have a society,” Adrienne explains. “If you don’t have that, society will crumble. People cannot function while being sick. If you are sick, you cannot contribute to society, go to work, or do the things Congress wants you to do. You must support healthy people—and that starts with supportive healthcare.”

The impact of losing enhanced tax credits would be personal for Hinds as well. Her own Marketplace premiums are projected to increase by an astonishing $842 per month—rising from $531 to $1,373—when the enhanced credits expire.

She continues, “If Tennessee intends to support workers and entrepreneurs, it must also support policies that extend premium tax credits.”