House Republicans are urging the Obama administration to stop providing subsidies to help people pay the premiums for health insurance exchange plans following the revelation that data discrepancies could have led to errors in subsidy distribution, according to a report from The Hill.
Rep. Charles Boustany (R- La.), Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) are among those calling for a stop to the subsidies until the data errors have been sorted out, according to the report. Last week, the Associated Press reported at least 2.1 million people could be affected by data discrepancies in their applications, meaning the information the individual supplied on their application does not match the information the government has on record.
Most of the discrepancies involve income details and citizenship and immigration status. These errors could affect what people pay for their health insurance coverage (since subsidies are determined based on income level) and their legal right to obtain coverage. Many of the inconsistencies stem from outdate information in the government system, and HHS will send a request to affected individuals asking them to verify inconsistent information, according to the report.
Democrats have opposed stopping subsidy payments, according to The Hill. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) said suspending the payments would prove harmful to most exchange plan enrollees, and Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) has accused Republican lawmakers of trying to "tear down" the PPACA.
More Articles on the PPACA:
Data Discrepancies Could Affect Health Coverage of 2.1M Newly Insured
Report: Enrollees Have Qualified for $10B in PPACA Premium Subsidies
Senator Sues Over Congressional PPACA Subsidies