Health Premiums Could Jump 25% if Individual Mandate is Axed, Study Says

If the individual mandate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is struck down by the Supreme Court this March, individual health premiums could increase by 10-25 percent depending on how many people participate in the health insurance exchanges, according to a study from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The individual mandate under the PPACA requires that most American be covered by health insurance or pay a penalty. The study's authors used models to simulate how individuals and businesses would respond if the individual mandate were thrown out, and their findings include the following:

•    Between 40 million and 42 million people would still be uninsured, as opposed to 26 million if the mandate were allowed.
•    Uncompensated care would spike due to the large uninsured population, perhaps by as much as $20 billion if Medicaid eligibility were still expanded.
•    Private health plans would cover 4 million less people.

Related Articles on the Individual Mandate:

Nearly 500 Lawmakers Ask Supreme Court to Uphold Reform Law

26 States Call Medicaid Expansion "Unconstitutional"

AHA, Other Hospital Groups File Amicus Brief Supporting Individual Mandate

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