Letter to the editor: 'Illegals' can't get health coverage

I keep hearing the likes of Mike Johnson, JD Vance, Stephen Miller and other right-wingers claim Democrats want to give illegal immigrants health coverage and that’s what this shutdown is about. The Democrats wanted the premium assistance under the Affordable Care Act to not be dramatically reduced, which will spike insurance premiums for those getting insurance coverage through this law. So the Trump administration is pushing this lie, and the conservative media is falling in line. This is all over social media, as well.

Well, I work at the IRS and have taken tax law calls for years, in Pittsburgh, and I am familiar with the Affordable Care Act, and what Republicans have said is a whopper of a lie! I am not speaking for the IRS, but I can’t stand these blatant lies.

But don’t take my word. Go to irs.gov and put 8962 into the search box and you will see in the search results a link for Instructions for Form 8962. If you think illegal immigrants are getting subsidies under this law, go to page 3 of the instructions at the top right where it says this: “Unlawfully present in the United States. You are not entitled to the PTC for health coverage for an individual for any period during which the individual is not lawfully present in the United States.”

The Republicans know this, but they still go on TV and peddle these lies. Then their minions in social media and on news outlets repeat the lies.

Nick Balandiat

Baldwin