Maryland lawmakers are weighing a proposal to establish a state individual mandate to buy health insurance, The Baltimore Sun reports.
The plan aims to replace the ACA's federal mandate, which will no longer be enforced in 2019. Unlike the federal mandate, Maryland's proposal would allow uninsured residents to put the penalty toward buying insurance. The penalty, which would cost $700 or 2.5 percent of household income, whichever is greater, would be enforced on state tax returns, according to the report. The proposal has mixed support so far.
The advocacy group Families USA created the proposal and is also promoting it in other states. Massachusetts and New Jersey have already implemented their own insurance mandates, according to the report.
Read the full story here.
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