President Donald Trump said the Republican tax bill's repeal of the individual insurance mandate effectively ends the ACA, according to Politico.
Though millions of Americans are insured by plans purchased on ACA marketplaces and much of the 2010 health law remains intact, during a Wednesday press conference following the House and Senate's passage of the Republican tax reform bill, President Trump said the mandate's repeal spelled the end of the ACA.
"When the individual mandate is being repealed, that means Obamacare is being repealed. Because they get their money from the individual mandate," President Trump said, according to Politico. "Obamacare has been repealed in this bill."
The individual mandate requires individuals who don't receive employer-based or government-sponsored insurance to enroll in a plan from the ACA marketplace or face a financial penalty. The Congressional Budget Office estimates 13 million Americans will lose insurance coverage because of the individual mandate repeal. While some will elect to not purchase insurance, millions of others will be priced out of the market because of higher premiums.