Trump Says Republican Tax Bill ‘Essentially’ Repeals Obamacare
- Bill eliminates individual mandate, a pillar of the ACA
- Insurers have warned repeal of mandate will raise premiums
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President Donald Trump claimed victory for “essentially” repealing Obamacare in the Republican tax bill that cleared the House on Wednesday.
The bill eliminates a tax penalty for Americans who don’t carry health insurance, a pillar of the Affordable Care Act, while leaving the law’s other elements intact. Insurers have warned that eliminating the requirement will cause them to raise premiums. Healthy people will have less incentive to sign up for coverage, leaving insurers with a sicker pool of customers overall, the companies and many economists and health policy experts say.