House File 2738 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2738 BY McBURNEY , BAGNIEWSKI , B. MEYER , WICHTENDAHL , KURTH , BROWN-POWERS , KONFRST , ZABNER , BAETH , WILSON , RAMIREZ , CROKEN , R. JOHNSON , KRESSIG , WESSEL-KROESCHELL , and JACOBY A BILL FOR An Act establishing a state-based health insurance subsidy, and 1 making an appropriation. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5707YH (5) 91 jm/jh
H.F. 2738 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 135.196 Iowa benefit exchange fund 1 —— enhanced premium credits —— appropriation. 2 1. As used in this section, “enhanced premium tax credit” 3 means the advanced premium tax credit under 26 U.S.C. 4 §36B(3)(A). 5 2. The department and the department of insurance and 6 financial services shall cooperate and develop an internet 7 site to be located on the internet site of the department to 8 effectuate this section. 9 3. An Iowa benefit exchange fund is created in the state 10 treasury under the control of the department. Moneys in the 11 fund are to be used for the sole purpose of providing subsidies 12 to persons whose applications have been approved pursuant to 13 this section. Moneys in the fund are not subject to section 14 8.33. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or 15 earnings on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund. 16 4. The purpose of the fund is to provide funding for the 17 establishment of a state-based health insurance subsidy to 18 mitigate the impact of the reduction in the enhanced federal 19 advanced premium tax credits after the 2025 tax year. 20 5. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending 21 June 30, 2027, there is appropriated from the general fund of 22 the state to the department to be credited to the Iowa benefit 23 exchange fund, an amount sufficient to implement this section 24 until such time that the enhanced federal advanced premium 25 tax credits are restored to a level equaling or exceeding the 26 amount of the enhanced premium tax credit available to persons 27 during the 2025 tax year. 28 6. Beginning July 1, 2026, in order to qualify for a subsidy 29 to mitigate the impact of the reduction in enhanced federal 30 advanced premium tax credits, a person who is a resident may 31 submit an application to the department in a manner specified 32 by the department. The application shall include identical 33 information submitted by a person as if applying for health 34 insurance coverage under the federal Patient Protection and 35 -1- LSB 5707YH (5) 91 jm/jh 1/ 3
H.F. 2738 Affordable Care Act, Pub. L. No. 111-148, including personal 1 information, household income, immigration status, and any 2 current or available health insurance coverage. 3 7. a. For the tax year beginning on or after January 1, 4 2026, but before January 1, 2027, and upon approval of the 5 application by the department, an amount equal to the enhanced 6 premium tax credit the person would have received as if the 7 enhanced premium tax credit did not expire shall be provided to 8 the person to offset the cost of the health insurance coverage. 9 b. The amount provided shall be based upon the calculation 10 for the enhanced premium tax credits during the 2025 tax year. 11 c. The amount provided may be retroactive to January 1, 12 2026, if the person qualified for such credits, or to the 13 date the person would have qualified for enhanced premium tax 14 credits in 2026, whichever is earlier. 15 8. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A 16 to administer this section. 17 EXPLANATION 18 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 19 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 20 This bill establishes a state-based health insurance subsidy 21 to mitigate the impact of the reduction in federal health 22 insurance subsidies. 23 The federal enhanced premium tax credit under 26 U.S.C. 24 §36B(3)(A) (federal credit) expired on January 1, 2026. The 25 federal credit was an expansion of the subsidies provided under 26 the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also 27 known as the ACA. 28 For the 2026 tax year only, the bill replaces the expired 29 federal credit with a state subsidy of equal value as the 30 federal credit calculated during the 2025 tax year. 31 The bill requires the department of health and human 32 services (department) and the department of insurance and 33 financial services to cooperate and develop an internet site to 34 be located on the internet site of the department to effectuate 35 -2- LSB 5707YH (5) 91 jm/jh 2/ 3
H.F. 2738 the bill. 1 Beginning July 1, 2026, a person who is a resident of this 2 state may submit an application to the department in a manner 3 specified by the department. The application shall include 4 identical information submitted by a person as if applying for 5 health insurance coverage under the federal Patient Protection 6 and Affordable Care Act, Pub. L. No. 111-148. 7 Upon approval of the application by the department, an 8 amount equal to the enhanced premium tax credit the person 9 would have received as if the enhanced premium tax credit did 10 not expire shall be provided to the person to offset the cost 11 of the health insurance coverage. The amount provided may be 12 retroactive to January 1, 2026, if the person qualified for 13 such credits, or to the date the person would have qualified 14 for enhanced premium tax credits in tax year 2026, whichever 15 is earlier. 16 The bill creates an Iowa benefit exchange fund (fund) in the 17 state treasury under the control of the department for the sole 18 purpose of providing subsidies to persons whose applications 19 have been approved pursuant to the bill. 20 For FY 2026-2027, the bill appropriates from the general 21 fund of the state an amount sufficient to implement the bill. 22 -3- LSB 5707YH (5) 91 jm/jh 3/ 3