Tax Day 2015 May Be Another Health Law Hurdle
Some consumers are likely to face headaches sorting through new IRS forms about their health insurance coverage and whether they might be exempt from penalties.
Politico: Consumers’ Next Obamacare Challenge: Tax Forms
If consumers thought logging on to HealthCare.gov was a headache, sorting through complex forms ahead of tax deadline day 2015 is their next big Obamacare challenge. The health care law’s benefits are rolling out, but its major math problems start next year as the IRS tries to ensure that millions of Americans are correctly calculating their benefits and that those who don’t have coverage are penalized unless they qualify for an exemption (Cunningham and Weinger, 8/11).
Also, questions continue to swirl around estimates of state uninsured rates released last week by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index -
Kansas Health Institute News Service: Accuracy Of Survey Showing Spike In Kansas Uninsured Rate Questioned
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger was among the doubters. She said the number appeared to be “an anomaly” because a spike of that magnitude from one year to the next “would be unprecedented.” But others seized on the numbers to score political points. Some said Kansas’ decision to join 23 other states in not expanding Medicaid contributed to the increase. Others said the number was evidence that the Affordable Care Act was failing to achieve its primary goal of reducing the number of uninsured – if only in Kansas (McLean, 8/11).
Indianapolis Star: Indiana's Uninsured Rate Is Now Above National Average
The share of Hoosier adults who lack health insurance has changed little since major parts of the Affordable Care Act began this year, according to new data. But, unlike Indiana, states that expanded Medicaid and had an active role in running the exchanges in their state to help people buy coverage on the private market saw significant drops in their uninsured rates. For example, Kentucky's uninsured rate dropped from about 20 percent last year to about 12 percent so far this year, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index released last week. Indiana's rate stayed at around 15 percent (Grope, 8/10).