The health law’s requirement that individuals carry a minimum level of insurance is central to improving women’s access to the health insurance market, for this requirement makes it financially possible for insurers to provide coverage to all who seek it at a reasonable cost. It is also clear that the law intended low-income women and families to not be penalized when they have no access to affordable coverage or special circumstances exist so they do not have minimum essential coverage. Dania Palanker, Senior Counsel with the National Women’s Law Center, provided oral testimony today to the IRS and Treasury on proposed rules related to the individual responsibility to maintain minimum essential coverage.
Today’s testimony focused primarily on ensuring pregnant women maintain access to Medicaid coverage for pregnancy related services and access to premium tax credits. The Medicaid program serves as an important and often more affordable source of coverage for pregnant women. Because this coverage is time-limited, however, forcing women to enroll in Medicaid and lose eligibility for premium tax credits could create burdensome disruptions in coverage and care for pregnant women and their families. In addition, the testimony encouraged final rules from HHS as well as Treasury and IRS to ensure limited benefit student health plans do not prevent students and their families from accessing affordable coverage through the exchanges and eliminating unnecessary burdens for families.
Download the full testimony below.
