Congress could stop IRS from enforcing individual mandate

Even if Republican-led efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act fail, the party’s members of Congress have a way to stop the Internal Revenue Service from enforcing one of the law’s most unpopular provisions: the individual mandate that penalizes people who remain uninsured.

Both the Senate and House versions of ACA repeal-and-replace legislation includes eliminating the individual mandate. As the New York Times reports, in case the Republican majorities can’t pass those bills, a provision restricting IRS enforcement of the mandate has been included in an appropriations bill for the next federal fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

“While Congress works to pass President Trump’s healthcare plan, stopping the IRS from implementing the harmful individual mandate helps provide relief for the families suffering under Obamacare,” said Garrett Hawkins, spokesman for Georgia Republican Rep. Tom Graves, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, which has already approved the appropriations bill.

A de facto repeal of the mandate would have a major impact on premiums, causing them to rise in the short term. Uncertainty around its enforcement under the Trump administration has been cited by insurers requesting double-digit rate increases for 2018.

Read the full article at the link below: