GAO: Proposed IRS rule could leave some children ineligible for health insurance subsidies

The report concludes that some children would fall through the cracks because of the definition of affordable health insurance that the IRS used in a rule implementing the health care law.

CQ Healthbeat:  GAO Puts Pressure On IRS To Change Definition Of Affordable Health Insurance
Many children may remain uninsured under a definition of affordable health insurance that the IRS used in a rule implementing the health care law, according to Government Accountability Office report released Tuesday.  Under the law, in 2014, people will be eligible for tax credits, based on their income, to subsidize the cost of their health insurance in the new exchange markets. People will not be entitled to the credits if they are eligible for Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program or affordable health insurance.  But a big question has arisen about how affordable health insurance should be defined. Did the law's authors mean health insurance covering an entire family, or just individual coverage for the parent or other family member who is employed (Adams, 7/24)?

Kaiser Health News: GAO: Proposed Rule May Leave Some Children Ineligible For Subsidies
While most uninsured children will qualify for coverage under the federal health law, a small percentage -; 6.6 percent of the total, or at least 460,000 -; may be shut out because of how the government proposes to define 'affordable' coverage, says a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (Appleby, 7/23).