Two House of Representatives committee chairmen are questioning why foreign diplomats working in the United States are being provided taxpayer-subsidized health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) wrote a letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen on Wednesday asking how many foreign diplomats have enrolled in ACA and the total cost of those subsidies.
“Many Americans would be surprised to learn that their tax dollars may be subsidizing health coverage for foreign diplomats,” the chairmen wrote.
They added later: “We fully support the ability of foreign diplomats to purchase health care coverage in the United States. We do not, however, believe that American taxpayers should subsidize these services.”
The letter explains that the Secretary of Health and Human Services informed the Committee on Foreign Affairs that, if they meet basic ACA requirements, “a foreign diplomat could satisfy the statutory criteria to be eligible for a premium tax credit and cost-sharing reductions.”