After Push By Reps. Slaughter and Doggett, Treasury and IRS Release Guidance Allowing Domestic Violence Survivors to Access ACA Benefits
Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc. |
Last week, Representatives Slaughter and Doggett, along with 77 of their colleagues, called on the
Today, the
View the letter from Treasury here.
"Survivors of domestic violence should not have to depend on their abuser to gain access to affordable health care, and I'm glad the
"Domestic abuse victims finally have some assurance that they can access tax credits to make health insurance affordable without relying upon those who abused them. Today's dual Administration announcement means that they have two additional months to use this information in choosing the best insurance policy," Rep. Doggett said. "I appreciate the prompt response to our congressional request, but Treasury now needs to move forward more expeditiously to get final regulations adopted this year."
According to the
Please find the full letter from Reps. Slaughter and Doggett to Treasury below:
Dear Secretary Lew:
We write to express our strong concern regarding victims of domestic abuse, who are currently unable to fully realize the benefits of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It has come to our attention that some of these victims are facing unique barriers to qualifying for lower monthly premiums as they search for and purchase health care coverage. We join our
With just two weeks before the enrollment deadline and no clear guidance, we urge you to provide guidance to these individuals now and to issue proposed regulations promptly to prevent ongoing confusion in future open enrollment periods. Specifically, we ask you to implement policies that would allow victims of domestic abuse to access the full amount of premium assistance tax credits for which they qualify, even when they choose to file a tax return separately from their spouse.
To protect themselves from the ongoing threat of violent abuse, it is common for victims of domestic violence to file taxes separately from their spouse. However, the current regulations implementing Section 36B of the Affordable Care Act provide that married taxpayers who do not file a joint return are not eligible for premium tax credits. In its final regulations regarding premium tax credits, issued nearly two years ago, the
We supported health care reform for many reasons, including provisions that would help break the cycle of abuse. Prior to the ACA, eight states and the
It is our hope that the goals of affordable health care provision and domestic violence prevention are fully realized by proper implementation.
Read this original document at: http://www.louise.house.gov/press-releases/after-push-by-reps-slaughter-and-doggett-treasury-and-irs-release-guidance-allowing-domestic-violence-survivors-to-access-aca-benefits/
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