APA, Five Other Medical Groups Voice Opposition to Senate Proposal to Remove Individual Mandate

Repeal of the mandate under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to buy health insurance is likely to raise premiums and increase the number of uninsured Americans, APA and five other medical specialty organizations said in astatement released today responding to provisions in the Senate tax reform bill that would eliminate the mandate.“The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that repeal of the individual mandate will result in 13 million people becoming uninsured by 2027,” APA and the five other groups said. “Furthermore, repealing the mandate will increase premiums and destabilize the individual and small group mar kets.”The five other organizations are the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Osteopathic Association. Together, they represent more than 560,000 physicians and medical students nationwide.The so-called “individual mandate” requires individuals not otherwise covered by health insurance to buy insurance in the ACA health exchanges or pay a tax penalty. Advocates say that without the mandate to buy health insurance, only the sick would enroll, causing adverse selection and destabilization of insu rance markets.“Our members are the nation’s frontline physicians, providing care to individuals and families in communities large and small, urban and rural,” the groups stated. “They see each day th...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Affordable Care Act group of six statement individual mandate Senate tax reform bill Source Type: research