While there are many who will argue that the ACA did help some Americans to find insurance, for most people, it was a failure from the get-go. The biggest issue for most was that if they found themselves unable to afford insurance, they would be hit with MASSIVE fines at tax time, meaning that everyone was FORCED to have insurance, no matter what.
Well, that’s about to change!
From Conservative Post:
Though their repeal and replace efforts came up short, it appears Republicans will at least be able to get rid of perhaps the most onerous part of Obamacare via their tax reform bill — the individual mandate requiring everyone to have health insurance, according to Newsmax.
Without question, the individual mandate was the most loathsome aspect of Obamacare, as it forced healthy American citizens who may not want or need health insurance to carry a policy regardless — and American citizens don’t generally liked being forced into doing anything.
Of course, the naysayers are now worried that if fewer healthy people purchase unnecessary health insurance policies, rates for those who still carry coverage will increase — ignoring the fact that premium rates for everybody were increasing regardless, despite repeated promises to the contrary from the prior administration.
According to NBC News, the Congressional Budget Office stated that the repeal of the individual mandate will likely result in about 4 million fewer Americans having insurance coverage by 2019, and up to 13 million fewer by 2027 — though they neglect to mention that lack of coverage may be by choice.
If this change is made, it would mean an incredible savings for many people, who are forced to purchase insurance unnecessarily, or pay huge yearly fines that eat up their entire tax refunds, and then some. Finally, we may be able to get out from under Obama’s ACA rule.
