Six U.S. Republican legislators put forth a bill proposing individuals in areas with one or fewer insurers be exempt from the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and tax penalties, Bloomberg reports.
The bill, called "Protection from Obamacare Monopolies Act," would give the 2.3 million individuals projected to face uncompetitive markets next year exemption from the ACA's requirement that individuals obtain health insurance or pay a penalty. Although the bill is not predicted to pass this year, it highlights recent scrutiny over ACA exchange competition, fueled by high-profile exits like Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealthcare and Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna.
Arizona's Pinal County recently gained one insurer — Phoenix-based Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona — assuaging concern the county would have no insurer offering exchange plans. According to an Avalere report, in 2017, seven states — Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wyoming — will only have one insurer per rating region in all the state's rating regions.
"This legislation would ensure that Arizonans are not forced to pay a penalty due to the failure of a healthcare system that was fatally flawed from conception," said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the lead sponsor of the bill. Sens. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) support the bill.
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