Obamacare Running into Issues

The ongoing fight over implementing President Obama’s signature healthcare reform law is in muddy waters. Two federal appeals courts have issued opposite rulings on health insurance subsidies that could impact many low- and middle-income people who bought policies, including more than 270,000 in Michigan. One ruling in Washington, DC rejected insurance subsidies for coverage on federally-run health insurance exchanges. The ruling said the subsidies can only be paid through state-run exchanges. However, a court in Richmond, Virginia later upheld all the subsidies. Karen Holcomb-Merrill of the Michigan League for Public Policy says the rulings will have no immediate impact on the ability of consumers in Michigan to maintain their premium tax credits to lower the cost of their health insurance plans purchased through the Michigan Health Insurance Marketplace.