Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/470332
ByCarlaK.Johnson The Associated Press CHICAGO MillionsofAmer- icans have a big personal stake in next Wednesday's Supreme Court challenge to the nation's health care law: Can they legally continue to get subsidies to help pay for their insurance? If the court says no, people across more than 30 states could lose federal subsidies for their premiums. The legal arguments the justices will hear are complex. Opponents who brought the lawsuit argue the law's literal wording only allows the government to pay subsidies in states that have set up their own insurance markets, or ex- changes. Most states have not. Supporters of the law say such a narrow reading misses its basic intent: to increase Americans' access to health insurance nation- wide. Whatever they know or don't know about the law's fine print, millions will feel the effects of the ruling. Here's a look at four people who now are receiving sub- sidies in states where the federal government is run- ning things, and how they would deal with losing the financial help. Young and healthy, Ari- ana Jimenez is just the kind of person the health insur- ance system needs in order to keep costs down for ev- eryone. When she pays her $52 monthly premium and the government kicks in $128, those payments help pay the bills for older, sicker people. She didn't know about the Supreme Court case that could jeopardize her sub- sidy. Without the help, she said, she would have to can- cel her policy: "I wouldn't be able to afford it." The 23-year-old sub- urban Chicago resident works part time as a nurs- ing assistant at a commu- nity health center, making slightly more than the cut- off to be eligible for Med- icaid. Starting her second year of coverage under the health care law, she hasn't used her insurance much. Her biggest medical epi- sode, having an infected cyst on her back removed, cost her $130 out of pocket in copays for doctor visits. "That was reasonable com- pared to what it would have been if I had not had insur- ance," she said. And if she does can- cel her policy? The law re- quires nearly everyone to have health insurance or pay a tax penalty, but it allows hardship exemp- tions in certain cases. It's unclear whether Jimenez would qualify. In any case, she wants to be insured. Kimberly Davis of Jack- son, Mississippi, said she'd be forced to drop health insurance if she lost the $201 monthly subsidy that brings her out-of-pocket monthly cost down to $78. Without coverage, she fears she wouldn't be able to afford medications to prevent flare-ups and to slow the progression of her multiple sclerosis. One drug costs nearly $5,000 a month. "I would have to go with- out," Davis said. "I'm kind of scared to think about it." The 31-year-old mother and trained social worker takes four medications that give her some control over MS, an autoimmune disease that causes pain, fatigue and difficulty walking. She was diagnosed five years ago, af- ter her son was born. Davis is looking for work. Her husband works part time at a paint store. "When I lost my job, I lost insurance," Davis said. "I went two months without my medicine and I got re- ally sick, so I know the im- portance of health insur- ance." Stacia Seaman makes her living as a freelance book editor, so she can live and work wherever she has an Internet connection. Right now, that's Austin, Texas, her home since 2004. But if the Supreme Court strikes down subsidies in states like Texas that don't have their own health insurance exchanges, Seaman said she'd consider moving. "I would take a look at the numbers," Seaman said. If she still could afford in- surance in Texas, she'd stay, but "I'd consider moving to a state where I can get a subsidy." The 46-year-old said the $112 monthly govern- ment contribution makes her health insurance af- fordable. She wouldn't con- sider dropping coverage be- cause she relies on expen- sive migraine medication and has had surgery for recurring ovarian cysts. Her share of her premium is $390 a month for a gold plan through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. "I love it here. I want to stay. I have family. This is where I'm from," Seaman said. "It's ridiculous that health insurance might be the reason I have to move." PERSONAL STAKES IN ACA If Su pr em e Co ur t sa ys n o, m an y will lose health insurance help NAMY.HUH—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Ariana Jimenez is seen in her home in Aurora, Ill. Jimenez, 23, works part time as a nursing assistant at a community health center. By David Espo and Erica Werner The Associated Press WASHINGTON Sounding a likely retreat, House Re- publicans weighed short- term funding Thursday to prevent a partial shut- down at the Department of Homeland Security while temporarily leaving in place Obama administra- tion immigration policies they have vowed to repeal. Under the emerging pro- posal, the agency would re- ceive funds with no strings attached for perhaps three weeks. The House would also approve a separate measure to allow normal agency operations through the end of the budget year on Sept. 30, but only in ex- change for immigration- related concessions from the White House. There was no imme- diate reaction from the White House. Senate Dem- ocratic leader Harry Reid earlier in the day did not rule out accepting a short- term funding bill if the House cleared it. Without legislation signed into law by the weekend, an estimated 30,000 Homeland Secu- rity employees would be furloughed beginning Monday. Another 200,000 would be expected to work without pay. Many Repub- licans have said they fear they would pay a politi- cal price for even a partial shutdown at the depart- ment, which has major re- sponsibilities for anti-ter- rorism. The proposal under con- sideration by House Re- publicans marked a retreat from their longstanding insistence that no money be approved for Homeland Security as long as Presi- dent Barack Obama's im- migration directives re- mained in place. Yet it fol- lowed by a few days an announcement by Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mc- Connell that he was mov- ing to decouple the two is- sues. The officials who de- scribed events in the House did so only on con- dition of anonymity, say- ing they were not autho- rized to pre-empt a for- mal announcement. The GOP rank and file set an early evening meeting to discuss the proposal. Whatever the even- tual outcome, it appeared Obama was closing in on a triumph in his latest show- down with the Republi- can-controlled Congress. GOP leaders announced last fall they would at- tempt to force a rollback in his immigration policy by tying the issue to funds at Homeland Security, a trade-off he has adamantly opposed since it was first broached. With directives issued in 2012 and earlier this year, Obama largely elimi- nated the threat of depor- tation for more than 4 mil- lion immigrants who en- tered the country illegally, including some brought to the United States as youngsters by their par- ents. House Republicans last month tied funding for the Department of Homeland Security to reversal of both of the president's policy di- rectives. Under their revised plan, one official said they would agree to leave in place the president's 2012 move to shield immigrants brought to the country as youngsters. 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