Biden administration's 'family glitch' fix kicks in soon

A White House effort to fix a loophole in the Affordable Care Act that left some families without affordable insurance is taking effect soon. 

In April, President Joe Biden directed the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department to close the so-called "family glitch." 

Individuals who do not have access to affordable health insurance through their employers can qualify for subsidies to purchase plans through the ACA marketplace. These affordability definitions only applied to individuals, not families, meaning many people were not eligible for subsidies. 

The IRS and Treasury Department are implementing the final rule designed to fix the glitch, according to a White House press release issued Oct. 11. 

Starting next month, people can sign up for subsidies for families if they cannot receive affordable insurance from their employer, according to the release. 

"This marks the most significant administrative action to implement the Affordable Care Act since the law was first put into place," President Biden said in the release. 

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra also applauded the rule change in a news release. 

"Today's action resolves a flaw in prior ACA regulations to bring more affordable coverage to about one million Americans," Mr. Becerra said. "Our goal is simple: Leave no one behind and give everyone the peace of mind that comes with health insurance." 

Around 1 million people will either gain coverage or have more affordable coverage as a result of the rule, according to HHS. 

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