By Elise Viebeck - 11-08-13 10:12 AM EST
The White House might broaden the availability of federal discounts on healthcare coverage under ObamaCare to help consumers whose premiums are going up, according to a report.
The administration is considering expanding the premium tax credits that are available to some people purchasing insurance coverage on the new exchanges, according toHuffington Post.
Right now, the tax credits are only available to people making 133 to 400 percent of the federal poverty line.
But the administrative fix under discussion would widen the eligibility for people with incomes above the 400 percent level.
Widening that eligibility for people with incomes above 400 percent of the poverty line would raise the Affordable Care Act's overall cost, a major issue for Republican lawmakers.
The proposal would apparently assist people with cancelled health insurance find alternatives on the new exchanges without the threat of a major price hike.
The Obama administration is scrambling to address problems with its healthcare rollout, including instances of "sticker shock" and massive technical flaws in the online enrollment system.
On Thursday, President Obama apologized to individuals who are losing their healthcare coverage despite his promise that they could keep their plans if they liked them.
Obama hinted that his team is weighing policies to address the cancellation notices, which have become a political firestorm in the last two weeks.
"We've got to work hard to make sure that [people] know we hear them and we are going to do everything we can to deal with folks who find themselves in a tough position as a consequence of this," Obama told NBC news.
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