Congress Approves Tax-Free Bank Accounts For People With Disabilities
The accounts could be used to pay for education, housing and health care, among other needs. Also in news from Capitol Hill, House Democrats released a report showing how many people in each congressional district risk losing assistance if the Supreme Court upholds the challenge to premium subsidies in the health care law.
The Associated Press:
Congress Agrees To Widen Federal Help For Disabled
Congress gave final approval Tuesday to the most sweeping legislation to help the disabled in a quarter century, allowing Americans with disabilities to open tax-free bank accounts to pay for needs such as education, housing and health care. The move paves the way for creation of the accounts beginning next year for as many as 54 million disabled people and their families. (Yen, 12/16)
CQ Healthbeat:
House Democrats Quantify Subsidies At Risk In Health Law Challenge
Americans stand to lose $65 billion in tax credits to help purchase medical coverage if the Supreme Court upholds a challenge to the health care law's insurance subsidies, House Energy and Commerce Democrats said in a staff report Tuesday that outlines the number of people in each congressional district at risk of losing assistance. The report lists the congressional district, the name of its representative in Congress, the number of people who could lose subsidies in 2016 and the annual value of the lost aid for residents of districts in states using the federal insurance exchange healthcare.gov. Last month, the high court agreed to hear a challenge to the subsidies that help lower- and middle-income people in those 37 states buy health coverage under the overhaul (Attias, 12/16)