Rep. Horsford, Sen, Cortez-Masto Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Lower Health Care Costs for Families With Working College Students

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nevada, issued the following news release:

On Wednesday, Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) introduced the Dependent Income Exclusion Act to make health insurance more affordable for families with children who have part-time jobs or are enrolled in job training programs. This legislation would allow families to exclude specific dependent income when calculating their eligibility for Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies. For a family with children in college who are working in the summer to put money towards tuition; or for a family with kids attending community college while working part-time, this would make insurance more affordable.

"We cannot simultaneously encourage a strong work ethic in our young people AND penalize their families by disqualifying them from helpful tax credits and access to affordable health insurance," Congressman Horsford said. "Families with students in college or with young adults working to contribute funds to cover their expenses should not be barred from accessing tax credits that keep their health care affordable. Expanding access to quality health care for my constituents, and for Americans across the country, is my top legislative priority and this bill is an important step toward a future where no one is denied the care they need."

For low-income families who are already eligible for subsidies, it would have the effect of increasing the generosity of the credit. For families whose kids' jobs make them ineligible for the credit, this would have the effect of providing access to subsidies for the first time.

Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.) introduced the companion legislation in the Senate, with co-sponsors Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).

"Parents of students shouldn't be financially punished when their child takes on a summer job or campus work-study program; disqualifying an entire family from premium tax credits sends the wrong message to kids who are working to pay for college," Senator Cortez-Masto said. "My legislation will ensure middle class families continue to qualify for the credits that keep their health insurance affordable. There's more we must do to improve health care affordability for consumers, but this is an important first step. I'm proud to fight to ensure parents across the Silver State have access to affordable, quality health care for themselves and their kids."

This legislation is supported by the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, Families USA and Protect our Care.