IRS part of $5 million push to pressure uninsured Americans to buy Obamacare

The Internal Revenue Service released documents on Monday showing it was involved in a $5 million push to pressure uninsured Americans to buy Obamacare coverage during the Obama Administration, according to the watchdog group Judicial Watch.

“So now we have more evidence of more Obama IRS abuses targeting innocent Americans – all in the name of Obamacare,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “No wonder it took a federal lawsuit and court order to get these documents — as they show the Obama White House and its agencies were happy to threaten and treat Americans like lab rats in order to bolster Obamacare.”

Two sets of documents from the IRS show that the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House's Behavioral Sciences Team created a $5 million program aimed at targeting and pressuring those who refused Obamacare and either decided to pay a penalty instead or were exempt from being forced to purchase coverage, The Washington Free Beacon reported.

The documents were produced under court order in an April 2017 Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the IRS and HHS filed after agencies failed to respond to November 2016 FOIA requests.

What did the letters say?

There were six versions of the letters, according to Judicial Watch. Read them here.

Why does this matter?

● The Department of Health and Human Services may have overstepped its authority by threatening people with penalty fees, the Judicial Watch report said. The HHS can only send a notification to individuals of what their options are. "The penalty for not having any health-coverage or an exemption in 2017 will be at least $695 per adult and $347 per child (up to $2,085 per family), and could be more, depending on your income," the letters said.

● Judicial Watch claims the agencies that touted purchasing an Obamacare plan for $75 a month, failed to mention the high cost of co-payments and deductibles, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

Read the lawsuit: Judicial Watch, Inc. v. IRS and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services