When lawmakers return from recess next week, House Republicans are expected to resume efforts to pass legislation that would require federal officials to verify a person's eligibility for subsidies to help cover the cost of healthcare through the new exchanges before distributing the funds.
The bill — introduced by Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) — would prohibit the government from issuing premium tax credits and reductions in cost-sharing for people buying coverage through the health insurance marketplaces until HHS shows Congress the agency has implemented a system to verify household income and other eligibility requirements for those applying for subsidies.
Premium subsidies — distributed in the form of federal tax credits — will be available for people purchasing their own coverage through the new exchanges who have incomes from 100 percent to 400 percent of the poverty level, which amounts to $24,000 to $94,000 per year for a family of four in 2014.
Among those who currently buy their own health insurance, 48 percent would be eligible for tax credits to offset their premiums on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's individual insurance market, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report released last month.
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