Jackson Hewitt Tax Service is claiming credit for inducing the HHS June 14 to propose requiring health insurers to allow enrollees in the online marketplaces that open Oct. 1 to be able to pay for coverage using paper checks, cashier's checks, money orders, or debit cards if they do not have bank or credit card accounts. 

The provision was included in a proposed rule issued by CMS that lays out guidelines to safeguard federal funds and protect consumers in the marketplaces.  The guidelines include civil penalties qualified health plans sold in the marketplaces could face if they do not comply with rules, including "decertification."  The guidelines also include timeframes for refunds to enrollees and providers if an insurer incorrectly applies the advance premium tax credit subsidies that will help low- and moderate-income people afford coverage. 

Jackson Hewitt issued a report in May, "Uninsured + Unbanked = Unenrolled: How Health Insurance Companies Could Exclude One in Four Eligible Americans from ACA Health Coverage and What the Federal Government Can Do to Stop It," that highlighted the need to allow alternative forms of payment for people without bank accounts.