The latest version of the tax reform bill released Thursday by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, would not repeal the ACA's individual mandate, according to a news update from Politico.
The tax reform bill released in the Senate Thursday also leaves the individual mandate untouched, according to Politico.
The move to protect the mandate is not unexpected, as many Republicans felt tying healthcare to tax reform would kill any chances of passing the legislation. However, some conservatives and President Donald Trump supported adding the repeal to the bill to help fund tax cuts.
Repealing the individual mandate would reduce the federal deficit by $338 billion by 2027, according to an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office released Wednesday. This savings stems from a significant reduction in the number of insured Americans. From 2018 to 2027, the CBO estimates 13 million fewer people would have health insurance. The gain from paying fewer subsidies for individual plans would eclipse the loss of penalties collected for the mandate.
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