Chesterton Tribune

 

 

160,000 Hoosiers to keep health care subsidies under ruling

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — About 160,000 low- and moderate-income Indiana residents will keep the health insurance premium subsidies provided through the Affordable Care Act under a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Thursday.

The court ruled 6-3 that the Internal Revenue Service could allow the subsidies even in the 34 states, including Indiana, that didn't set up their own health insurance exchanges.

Supporters of the subsidies say the ruling is good news for the thousands of residents who rely on the tax credits to obtain health care. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates Indiana receives more than $51 million in federal tax subsidies to pay for health insurance, with the average enrollee seeing a tax credit of about $320 a month.

State Republicans said the ruling was disappointing and renewed calls for the law's repeal.

"Today's display of judicial activism by the Supreme Court upholds this deeply flawed law to the detriment of millions of Hoosiers who will continue to be subject to the mandates and taxes in Obamacare," Gov. Mike Pence said in a statement.

Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Coats called the law poorly written and executed, while Eric Holcomb, who is seeking to replace Coats in the Senate, urged fellow Republicans to take action.

"Those of us who feel the Affordable Care Act was the wrong answer to a national problem just can't continue talking about what we're against; we now have to present what we're for," Holcomb said in a statement.

Indiana Democratic Party Chairman John Zody said the ruling "reaffirms what we already know - commonsense ideas that improve the lives of everyday folks, including Hoosiers, will always win."

 

Posted 6/25/2015

 
 
 
 
 

 

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