Income Verification for Insurance Premium Tax Credit Included in Deal to End Government Shutdown

Legislation

The law enacted on Oct. 17 to fund the federal government through Jan. 15 and to extend the federal government’s borrowing authority through Feb. 7 (P.L. 113-46) contained one tax provision, making a minor change to 2010’s health care legislation.

The law requires verification of the eligibility of people who receive cost-sharing reductions under Section 1402 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, P.L. 111-148, or the health insurance premium tax credit under Sec. 36B. The secretary of Health and Human Services is required to ensure that health insurance exchanges verify that individuals applying for the credit or cost-sharing reductions are eligible and must certify to Congress that the exchanges are verifying eligibility. The secretary must to report to Congress by Jan. 1, 2014, what procedures exchanges are using to verify eligibility.