Major Obamacare selling point could get wiped out

In a final push to get Americans to sign up for Obamacare coverage, the Obama administration is dangling a carrot: government subsidies many people can use to help purchase plans.

But those subsidies could be erased this summer.

In three weeks, the Supreme Court will hear the case King v. Burwell, challenging the legality of awarding the subsidies to those buying coverage via healthcare.gov. The justices’ decision — expected in June — could result in the subsidies being blocked from residents in the 37 states using the federal-run marketplace.

That possibility isn’t stopping officials from touting the government assistance as a major selling point of the law before enrollment ends on Sunday.

Officials released estimates earlier this week that nearly 6.5 million enrollees are qualifying for enough subsidies that the average cost for a plan dropped to $105 — although that average varies widely by state, ranging from $47 in Mississippi to $172 in New Jersey.

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