{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.cardin.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/cardin-mikulski-urge-hhs-secretary-sebelius-to-expand-access-to-aca-health-plans-and-tax-credits-by-all-available-means", "Cardin, Mikulski Urge HHS Secretary Sebelius to Expand Access to ACA Health Plans and Tax Credits “By All Available Means”", "2013-11-19", "2013", "2013-11", "Democrat", "House", "MD", "Benjamin Cardin", "C000141", "www.cardin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "November 19, 2013\n\t\t\t Cardin, Mikulski Urge HHS Secretary Sebelius to Expand Access to ACA Health Plans and Tax Credits \u201cBy All Available Means\u201d \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Detailing the existing authority available under the Affordable Care Act, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (Both D-Md.) have urged Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to immediately expand and publicize alternate methods for eligible Americans to enroll in health plans. \u00a0The Senators expressed their concern that while healthcare.gov is improving daily, the delays may cause many uninsured Americans to stop trying to shop for affordable plans.\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u201cAs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services\u2019 work to repair the healthcare.gov website continues, we urge you to ensure that uninsured Americans are able to enroll in health plans through all available means \u2026We are concerned that while the web site\u2019s troubles remain unresolved, healthy individuals will abandon attempts to apply on line, and we want to ensure that they can learn about plans and apply for coverage,\u201d they wrote in the letter.\u00a0 \r\n\u00a0\r\nSenators Cardin and Mikulski also asked Secretary Sebelius to streamline how subsidies are made available to all who qualify, however they enroll. Section 1411 of the ACA provides the Secretary the necessary flexibility to allow direct enrollment with health insurance companies, while remaining eligible for subsidies if applicable. The letter also encouraged expanded access to detailed plan information to allow navigators and community health centers help individuals shop for coverage before applying online, by phone or by paper application.\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe full text of the letter follows and is available at this link:\r\n\u00a0\r\nNovember 18, 2013\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe Honorable Kathleen Sebelius\r\nSecretary\u00a0 \r\nU.S. Department of Health and Human Services\r\n200 Independence Avenue, S.W.\r\nWashington, DC\u00a0 20201\r\n\u00a0\r\nDear Secretary Sebelius:\r\nAs proponents of universal health care coverage and supporters of the Affordable Care Act, we appreciate your ongoing focused efforts to implement the law.\u00a0\u00a0 As the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services\u2019 work to repair the healthcare.gov website continues, we urge you to ensure that uninsured Americans are able to enroll in health plans through all available means.\u00a0 \r\n\u00a0\r\nAlthough we received repeated assurances from the Administration in the weeks before and since the healthcare.gov web site opened, previous targets set by the Administration for full operability of the web site have not been met.\u00a0\u00a0 We are concerned that while the web site\u2019s troubles remain unresolved, healthy individuals will abandon attempts to apply on line, and we want to ensure that they can learn about plans and apply for coverage. Further, if and when additional glitches in the web site arise, Americans should have additional easy-to navigate avenues to apply for coverage. \r\n\u00a0\r\nWe were encouraged to hear the President say that the Administration is working to streamline the paper application form and dedicate additional resources to help uninsured people evaluate their plan options and select coverage. \r\n\u00a0\r\nSection 1411 of the ACA provides you the flexibility to \u201cmodify the methods used under the program established by this section for the Exchange and verification of information if the Secretary determines such modifications would reduce the Administrative costs and burdens on the applicant, including allowing an applicant to request the Secretary of the Treasury to provide the information described in paragraph (3) [household income and family size] directly to the Exchange or to the Secretary.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \r\n\u00a0\r\nWe urge you to use this authority immediately to implement and publicize alternative methods for enrolling, including:\r\n(1)\u00a0\u00a0 Informing the public that individuals and families who do not qualify for tax credits can apply for coverage directly with participating insurance companies where they will receive the same comprehensive coverage and prices listed on the healthcare.gov web site;\r\n\u00a0\r\n(2)\u00a0\u00a0 Creating a mechanism through which individuals and families who qualify for tax credits can apply for coverage directly to insurance companies and authorize the companies to directly interface with the hub to verify income, family size, and citizenship;\r\n\u00a0\r\n(3)\u00a0\u00a0 Enabling navigators on the HHS toll-free line and in communities to access health plan information without having to rely on the healthcare.gov web site;\r\n\u00a0\r\n(4)\u00a0\u00a0 Making paper application forms and detailed information about coverage options widely available through a web page that is independent of the healthcare.gov web site;\r\n\u00a0\r\n(5)\u00a0\u00a0 Enabling individuals to complete the application form on line as taxpayers can file their income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service; and\r\n\u00a0\r\n(6)\u00a0\u00a0 Ensuring that paper application forms and information about coverage options are available to the public at community health centers, hospitals, public libraries and other locations.\r\nThank you for your continued efforts to implement the Affordable Care Act.\u00a0 We look forward to your response.\r\n\u00a0\r\nSincerely,\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.cardin.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/cardin-mikulski-urge-hhs-secretary-sebelius-to-expand-access-to-aca-health-plans-and-tax-credits-by-all-available-means"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9428290650248528, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}