Testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell “repeatedly refused to say whether the Obama administration is making any contingency plans for an adverse ruling from the high court, which is hearing a challenge to the legality of billions of dollars in subsidies given to millions of HealthCare.gov customers.” CNBC,
Instead, Burwell said she’s confident the administration will win that case, and that the subsidies will continue flowing next year to millions of people in 37 states insured through that federally run exchange. The subsidies to customers of state-run Obamacare exchanges are not in peril from the case, known as King v. Burwell.
“What we’re doing right now is focusing on open enrollment,” said Burwell, at a news conference announcing that HealthCare.gov now has 6.4 million customers signed up for insurance plans that will go into effect in 2015.
“We believe we are in a place where our argument and our position will prevail,” she said.
Burwell held firm to that line even as reporters asked what the administration planned to do if those subsidies were ruled illegal by the Supreme Court, which is hearing arguments in the case March 4, and which is expected to rule on the issue by June.
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