People should not cheat when they apply for health insurance subsidies under the national healthcare overhaul because income discrepancies will show up later when they file income tax returns, a federal official said.
Uninsured people will be able to seek insurance under a new health exchange beginning Oct. 1. They will have to declare their incomes to determine if they are eligible for a government subsidy to help them afford the health insurance policy.
"This is all adjudicated at tax time. If folks try to play the system, it'll all come out in the end," said Jeff Hinson, regional administrator from the Denver office of the CMS.
People who misstate their incomes to qualify for greater subsidies as they buy insurance "will settle up with the IRS," Hinson said.