Ever since the Obama Administration announced that it would delay certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act, legislators and policy analysts alike have been grappling with the issue of how best to phase in portions of the law within the new timeframe. One of the provisions affected by the delay is the income verification process that determines whether certain applicants are eligible to purchase coverage through state-run health exchanges. In this week's issue of the Taxpayers Tab, NTUF analyzed a bill that seeks to clarify how that process will eventually be carried out.
As originally passed, the Affordable Care Act specified that government entities would be responsible for screening health exchange applicants in order to verify that they meet certain income requirements. However, the Administration announced in July that the verification process would not be implemented until 2015, and that regulators would instead rely on applicants' self-reported income information.
Congresswoman Diane Black (R-TN) responded by introducing H.R. 2775, which requires the government to implement accurate verification systems before any health care exchange awards coverage or credits. The bill has gained 104 Republican sponsors in the House as of its passage yesterday. Because the bill does not specify the nature of the verification system it proposes, and such a requirement is in current law, the Congressional Budget Office determined that it would not affect federal spending.
Also featured in this week's Tab:
- New former Presidents benefits infographic
- Wildcard: S. 1213, the Weatherization Enhancement, and Local Energy Efficiency Investment and Accountability Act, was introduced by Senator Chris Coons (D-DE). It would authorize $452 million for various weatherization projects.
- Most Expensive: Congressman George Miller (D-CA) introduced H.R. 2889, the Local Jobs for America Act, which would direct $25.3 billion ($6.3 billion per year) towards jobs programs in low-income and high-unemployment areas.
For more on these bills, be sure to check out the Tab online here. You can sign up for future email updates by clicking here.