SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Tuesday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order expanding coverage under the Affordable Care Act to save hundreds of thousands of families hundreds of dollars a month on health insurance by eliminating the so-called “family glitch.” Current regulations make family members of those with “affordable” employer-based coverage – even if the coverage is only for the employee – ineligible for premium tax credits to buy their own coverage through the private marketplace. Without these valuable tax credits, family coverage is often out of reach due to its high cost. The “family glitch” affects about five million people nationally.
Last year, Rep. Jen Schultz (DFL – Duluth), chair of the House Human Services Committee, successfully championed an initiative to fix the family glitch in Minnesota that prevented people from enrolling in MinnesotaCare because they had access to employer-based coverage through a family member, even though the coverage is unaffordable. Lawmakers included the measure as part of the 2021 Health and Human Services finance bill.
Rep. Schultz issued the following statement:
“Everyone deserves high-quality, affordable health care, and President Biden’s action is a significant step forward to expand coverage to more Americans. While we worked together to solve the family glitch specifically for Minnesotans last year, we carefully crafted our solution as a model for the rest of the nation, and yesterday’s executive order brings this effort to fruition. As Minnesotans struggle with high costs in their daily lives – including health care – we will need to continue advancing new, innovative ideas, including the MinnesotaCare Buy-In option, to ensure everyone has access to the health care they count on for themselves and their families.”