Obamacare Chief: There Is No Plan B If SCOTUS Kills Subsidies

President Barack Obama listens as his nominee to become Human Services secretary, current Budget Director Sylvia Mathews Burwell, speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Friday, April 11, 2014, wh... President Barack Obama listens as his nominee to become Human Services secretary, current Budget Director Sylvia Mathews Burwell, speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Friday, April 11, 2014, where the president announced he would nominate Burwell to replace Kathleen Sebelius. The moves come just over a week after sign-ups closed for the first year of insurance coverage under the so-called Obamacare law. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The Obamacare chief told Congress on Tuesday that the Obama administration has “no plans” that would mitigate the damage of a potential Supreme Court decision invalidating health insurance subsidies on the federal health insurance exchange.

“We know of no administrative actions that could, and therefore we have no plans that would, undo the massive damage to our health care system that would be caused by an adverse decision,” Health & Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell wrote in a letter dated Tuesday to Republicans who inquired about HHS’s contingency plans.

Burwell said the administration is “confident we will prevail” in Court, but warned that a ruling against the government would mean millions of Americans lose their health insurance, causing disproportionately sick coverage pools and higher costs.

Senate Finance Chair Orrin Hatch (R-UT) said the Obama administration’s letter “confirms how the misguided law is unworkable for the American people.”

In a statement, he said he’s “committed to working with my Republican colleagues on how Congress can respond to help those hurt by Obamacare’s broken promises, including those in a post King v. Burwell world.”

The case is King v. Burwell. Oral arguments are set for March 4, and a decision is expected by the end of June.

Burwell King
Letter

Latest DC

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for hoagie hoagie says:

    Is Orrin planning on washing, anointing, and blessing the sick that will result, as taught by his MegaChurch? Nope? Didn’t think so. Another empty religion.

  2. Shorter Hatch: We broke it, now YOU buy it.

  3. Avatar for tearam tearam says:

    Does not like the poor and does not care if they die!!!

  4. Senate Finance Chair Orrin Hatch (R-UT) said the Obama administration’s
    letter “confirms how the misguided law is unworkable for the American
    people.”

    Gack. The only thing unworkable for the American people is a Republican Congress.

    By the way, did anyone notice that the letter had the name of the alleged Congresstard redacted. Must be private information.

  5. Good catch. But possibly this is just the template form and the black lines are to white in the names of the Congressmen.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

6 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for cabchi Avatar for george_c Avatar for tearam Avatar for rudesan Avatar for randyabraham Avatar for sniffit Avatar for dd40 Avatar for hoagie Avatar for bigdaddydrj Avatar for 62fender

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: