Brown Joins 20-State Coalition Urging Congress to Reject ACA Tax Credit Restrictions

Attorney General Anthony G. Brown joined a coalition of 20 states in sending a letter to congressional leadership urging the rejection of efforts tied to negotiations on extending Enhanced Premium Tax Credits under the Affordable Care Act.

The tax credits, which help offset health insurance costs for millions of Americans, are scheduled to expire at the end of the year. The coalition warned that failure to extend the credits would result in higher healthcare premiums for millions of families beginning next year.

According to the letter, some members of Congress have sought to condition an extension of the tax credits on provisions that would prohibit Affordable Care Act insurance plans receiving the credits from covering abortion services. The coalition argued that such restrictions would violate state sovereignty, conflict with existing state laws and regulations, and threaten residents' access to healthcare.

The letter stated that federal law already prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion services. In states where insurance plans include abortion coverage, enrollees pay separate fees to cover those services.

The coalition asserted that states have the authority to develop healthcare policies affecting their residents, consistent with the Affordable Care Act and established principles of state authority over healthcare regulation.

The letter also cited research indicating that states that restricted abortion access after the overturning of Roe v. Wade experienced increases in sepsis, infant mortality, and pregnancy-associated deaths. The coalition argued that limiting insurance coverage for these services poses risks to patient health and safety.

The proposal was described as part of broader federal efforts to restrict access to reproductive healthcare. The letter referenced previous actions opposed by Attorney General Brown and other attorneys general, including litigation challenging a Trump administration effort to defund Planned Parenthood and opposition to proposed restrictions on abortion services within the Veterans Affairs healthcare system.

The coalition asked congressional leaders to extend the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits without conditions that would limit states' ability to provide healthcare coverage, including reproductive healthcare.

In addition to Maryland, the letter was signed by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawai'i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.