The Biden Administration recently announced that the Treasury Department is finalizing a fix to the so-called Family Glitch in the Affordable Care Act.
We previously reported on this flaw where workers who can afford employer healthcare plans for themselves are covered, but their whole family loses eligibility to buy healthcare plans in the ACA marketplace at a reduced price, even if the employer’s plan doesn’t offer affordable coverage for family members.
In a recent statement, President Biden said he wants to make sure “the law works the way Congress intended.”
Fixing the Family Glitch would ensure that an additional 5 million uninsured Americans have health insurance – 34,000 of whom are Mainers.
That includes working Mainers like John Farr of Winslow, who could no longer afford healthcare coverage for his family after a salary raise put him just $600 ($50 per month) beyond the limit for MaineCare.
The closure of the Family Glitch means family members of workers currently without health insurance will be able to access affordable coverage through CoverME.gov as early as next month.
Mainers for Working Families believes every Mainer deserves quality healthcare they can afford. We commend the Biden Administration and our leaders in the Maine Legislature for their efforts to make healthcare more accessible and affordable.