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Paulsen: Health Care Law Creates More Problems for Taxpayers

Washington, D.C.– Today, the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittees on Health and Oversight conducted a joint hearing on the verification of income and insurance information under the Affordable Care Act. Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03) joined his colleagues in questioning witnesses about the government’s ability to ensure proper accuracy when distributing health care subsidies. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced last week that 2.2 million enrollees in the private health coverage under the health care law—one in four of those who signed up—have inconsistent data in their applications.

“The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that over $1 trillion in subsidies will be distributed over the next decade,” said Paulsen. “However, an accurate income and eligibility system does not exist. During next year’s tax filing season, millions of Americans are going to find out they owe the IRS money because their premium tax credits were paid incorrectly.

“The IRS and administration will then have two choices—go after innocent recipients and create financial hardship and confusion for millions of families, or force taxpayers to cover billions of dollars in excess premium credits,” Paulsen continued. “These are both very bad choices resulting from further complicating an already complex tax system.”

Video of Congressman Paulsen’s questioning is available here.

Paulsen, a champion of small business and advocate of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation, serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, and is co-chair of the Congressional Medical Technology Caucus.

For more information on Congressman Paulsen’s work in Congress visit paulsen.house.gov.

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