WASHINGTON (Fwrd Axis) — President Joe Biden will propose expanding access to health care by proposing changes to the “family glitch” in the Affordable Care Act in an event at the White House on Tuesday with former President Barack Obama.
The change would make more people eligible for premium tax credits to buy ACA marketplace plans. A senior administration told reporters Monday the Treasury Department’s proposal would allow families to receive tax credits if their coverage costs are more than 10 percent of their incomes.
“We think it’s the most significant administrative action to improve the implementation of the ACA,” the official said.
According to a facts sheet released by the White House Tuesday morning, the proposal would see 200,000 uninsured people gain coverage, and nearly 1 million Americans would see their coverage become more affordable, the most significant administrative action to improve the implementation of the ACA since its enactment.
Currently, the costs for single people on coverage plans do not go beyond 10 percent of their incomes, but that doesn’t apply to spouses or children who are offered insurance through family members’ jobs. This means family members are using 25 percent or 30 percent of their incomes to pay health insurance, the official said.
Enrollment for Obamacare has been its highest since Biden took office in January 2021. The White House said over the winter season, 14.5 million people bought ACA marketplace plans, including 6 million newly insured people. The coronavirus pandemic also saw an uptick in Americans being newly insured with hospitalizations rising over the past two years.
Politico was the first to report on the new changes to the Affordable Care Act.
Biden will also sign an Executive Order directing federal agencies to continue doing everything in their power to expand affordable, the White House said. This order will include making it easier for people to enroll in and keep their coverage and continuing to make health coverage more accessible and affordable by expanding eligibility and lowering costs for Americans with ACA, Medicare, or Medicaid coverage.
