NTU urges all Representatives to vote “YES”on H.R. 2576. Introduced by Rep. Black (R-TN), this bipartisan bill would modifythe definition of income for purposes of determining eligibility for certainMedicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program applicants. The legislationwould also revise qualifications surrounding subsidies for health insurancepurchased through exchanges created under the Patient Protection and AffordableCare Act (PPACA).
Inestablishing new criteria for these programs, PPACA stipulated an incomemeasure that excluded non-taxable Social Security and pension benefits. Omittingthese income sources has the potential to significantly understate ahousehold’s financial resources and could lead to a dramatic and unintentionalexpansion of a subsidy meant for only the poorest of Americans. Estimatesconducted by Richard Foster, Chief Actuary at the Center for Medicare andMedicaid Services, reveal that a married couple earning $64,000 – well above400 percent of the federal poverty level – could become eligible for Medicaidunless the PPACA provision is amended.
Bycounting the entire Social Security benefit as income, H.R. 2576 would ensurethat health care subsidies are more carefully targeted to those in need, a movethe Congressional Budget Office projects would reduce the deficit by $13billion over 10 years. Although NTU continues to support efforts that wouldrepeal PPACA in its entirety, H.R. 2576 is a bipartisan cost-saving measurewhich should be enacted right away.
Roll call votes on H.R. 2576 will be significantlyweighted in our annual Rating of Congress, and a “YES” vote will be consideredthe pro-taxpayer position.
If you have any questions, please contact NTU Federal Government Affairs Manager Brandon Greife at(703) 683-5700