WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama returned to the White House on Tuesday for the first time since leaving office to celebrate the 12th anniversary of his landmark health care law — and to provide a political lift to President Joe Biden and Democrats.
Biden, who as Obama’s vice president famously celebrated the Affordable Care Act’s passage as a “big f---ing deal,” took two steps to bolster the law, signing an executive order to make health care more accessible and affordable while the Treasury Department launched an effort to untangle the ACA’s “family glitch,” a loophole that has forced people with employer-based plans to pay exorbitant premiums for covering their spouses and dependents.
If the rule is finalized, about 5 million families who are paying more than 10% of their income for employer-based health care or who are unable to afford quality coverage would be eligible for subsidies to reduce those costs.
