WASHINGTON, D.C. (WSAU) -- Tuesday’s two conflicting court rulings about paying subsidies to Affordable Care Act policyholders has both political parties claiming victory.
It has also done two very predictable things: First, it made Obamacare policyholders a bit nervous and confused, as they wonder if their premiums will increase. Second, it renewed efforts by Democrats to ask Republican Governor Scott Walker to reconsider starting a Wisconsin Obamacare insurance exchange.
One of those Democrats is 3rd District Congressman Ron Kind. He says, “Governor Walker can solve this immediately by saying, listen, I’m going to work with the Department of Health and Human Services and set up our own state-based health insurance exchange. We’re going to do it the Wisconsin way. We’re going to increase competition in that exchange. We’re going to keep an eye on premiums to make sure they’re more affordable for Wisconsin families, and that would take it out of the hands of the courts entirely.”
That is not likely to happen. Governor Walker has been opposed to creating a state exchange.
As for the approximately 133,000 Wisconsin residents that are already signed up in the federal exchange, Kind says 90% of them get the subsidies. He says residents should not worry about their rates going up right now. “The President has requested the full court to hear the case. Only three judges on that circuit court ruled on the case, and now it’s going to go to the full panel. Our suspicion is that the full panel is going to uphold the law. They’re going to find that the President complied with it, it is Constitutional, we can move forward, and no one will lose the premium tax credits, and that is exactly what the 4th Circuit Court ruled on exactly the same day.”
(Listen to our interview with Congressman Ron Kind on our website, here.)