More than 300,000 could lose Obamacare coverage
More than 300,000 may end up losing their healthcare acquired through Obamacare if they do not provide documentation that proves they are residing in the United States legally.
The Obama Administration made the announcement Tuesday, Aug. 12, according to The New York Times. While the majority of cases involve immigration or citizenship status, some of the cases are also concerned with discrepancies in income that impact subsidies they receive from the federal government.
Prior to this announcement, the government has confirmed the eligibility status of 450,000 enrollees in the program. Another 210,000 are currently working on confirming their status. The roughly 310,000 people that are the focus of the announcement have not responded to phone calls or mail asking for them to confirm their eligibility for Obamacare.
The latest round of warnings to those people called for the provision of information to help confirm their status by Sept. 5. If they do not provide the necessary information by that time, they will lose their healthcare coverage Sept. 30.
The federal exchange that is responsible for Obamacare will continue to reach out to people and has enlisted various consumer assistance groups to help in the effort.
Nearly half of the cases in question involve citizens in Florida and Texas, two states with very large Hispanic immigrant communities. Immigrants who are eligible for Obamacare must be in the United States legally. This includes green card holders, refugees, and people in the country on work or student visas.
Insurance News Net reports that nearly 100,000 people Florida alone could be impacted.
The cases only affect people who have purchased healthcare on the federal marketplace. The 14 states that have built and operate their own healthcare exchanges are handling similar cases by themselves.
