Sen. Lamar Alexander backs GOP plan to repeal Obamacare mandate as part of tax reform
Published
Tying repeal of the so-called individual mandate to the tax-reform measure could cost Alexander Democratic support for a separate bipartisan bill that he negotiated with Democratic Sen.
In an escalating war of words, Senate Democratic Leader
Alexander, the
"If
Murray accused
By allowing the Alexander-Murray bill to move at the same time,
But, "tacking Alexander-Murray onto the partisan Republican tax reform effort is like trying to put out a fire with penicillin," Murray said. "It will not do anything to help."
The Alexander-Murray legislation, announced in October after weeks of negotiations, is intended to shore up Obamacare insurance markets and lower premiums by guaranteeing for two years subsidy funding that reduces the cost of plans.
The bipartisan package also would expand the authority for states to experiment with alternative standards for insurance plans that deviate from federal requirements.
Alexander says the bill, if passed, would offer short-term relief in 2018 and 2019 for people in states such as
On the other hand, eliminating the individual mandate would mean fewer people are insured, according to the
Repealing the health insurance mandate would save the government about
The nonpartisan agency's report also found that a repeal would lead to 4 million fewer people with insurance next year, 13 million fewer in 2027, and rate increases of about 10 percent for those who remain in the exchanges.
Alexander said he supports getting rid of the individual mandate and said making its repeal part of the tax package is appropriate since it is "a tax mostly on poor people."
If eliminating the individual mandate would cause premiums to rise, that is something that the
While
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