Politicizing The Individual MandateThe individual mandate has remained the most controversial component of the Affordable Care Act since President Barack Obama signed it into law on March 23, 2010, with all votes for passage coming from the Democrat-controlled House and Senate. And although Medicaid requires beneficiaries to jump through a series of hoops to demonstrate their eligibility, repealing the individual mandate won’t cause 5 million people to voluntarily opt out of free coverage. Finally, rescinding the individual mandate is a first step toward repealing Obamacare outright, something Republicans have been promising since 2010. The Truth About Repealing The Individual MandateEliminating the individual mandate will harm the 15% of enrollees who (a) aren’t currently receiving subsidies on the exchanges but (b) have ongoing medical problems. Regardless of whether the tax bill’s final version includes a repeal of the individual mandate, healthcare premiums will rise on the exchanges as out-of-pocket costs increase even more rapidly for everyone.

Source: Forbes December 05, 2017 17:00 UTC