Political Quotes

“I am expressing sentiments for myself and on behalf of Senators Wyden and Murray, as a fair reading of the Affordable Care Act, ACA, makes clear, S. 1462, the Marketplace Certainty Act, is not necessary to provide a permanent appropriation for the payment of cost-sharing reductions under the ACA. The ACA already prescribes that such payments are to be made from such a permanent appropriation pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 1324. This is because an essential component of the ACA's system for ensuring the availability of affordable health insurance coverage is its two-part package of subsidies: tax credits and cost-sharing reductions. Whereas the premium tax credits make it more affordable for an individual to purchase health insurance, the cost-sharing reductions make healthcare more affordable by reducing the often daunting costs, such as copayments and deductibles, that even those with health insurance must pay to obtain healthcare, ACA, sections 1401, 1402, 26 U.S.C. 36B, 42 U.S.C. 18071. The ACA directs the Secretary of the Treasury to ``establish'' a single, integrated ``program'' to ``make advance payment'' of both subsidies to insurance companies, who are accordingly mandated to reduce individuals' premium payments to insurers, and their cost- sharing obligations to healthcare providers.…”