HEALTHCARE/OBAMCARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “At least nine states are considering their own versions of a requirement that residents must have health insurance, a move that could accelerate a divide between Democratic states trying to shore up the Affordable Care Act and Republican states intent on tearing it down.
Congressional Republicans in December repealed the so-called individual mandate, a pillar of the ACA, as part of their tax overhaul. That cheered conservatives who say people shouldn’t be forced to buy insurance, but it has now energized liberals who say a mandate is needed to ensure coverage and keep premiums low.
Maryland lawmakers are pursuing a plan to replace the ACA mandate, which requires most people to pay a penalty if they don’t have coverage. States including California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Washington, Minnesota, New Jersey and Vermont, as well as the District of Columbia, are publicly considering similar ideas.
This push illustrates a shift in the health care battle from Capitol Hill to the states, igniting a surge of activity that could redefine access and coverage for millions of consumers… Republicans in Congress failed to repeal the law overall, but in addition to erasing the individual mandate, the Trump administration has been using administrative actions to roll back the ACA’s requirements and give states more control.
That is creating a landscape in which blue states pursue initiatives to keep or expand the ACA, while red states take actions to defang the law and put a conservative stamp on health policy.”
-Stephanie Armour, “States Look at Establishing Their Own Health Insurance Mandates,” The Wall Street Journal online, Feb. 4, 2018 12:01am