Delaying the implementation of the individual coverage mandate under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would both reduce the national deficit and increase health insurance premiums, according to a preliminary estimate from the Congressional Budget Office.
The house is scheduled to vote today on the Fairness for American Families Act (H.R. 2668), which would delay the individual mandate implementation until Jan. 1, 2015, according to a report from The Hill.
The CBO, along with the Joint Committee on Taxation, project that delaying the mandate would reduce the federal deficit both in 2014 and for the next 10 years (2014 to 2023).
However, the CBO and JCT estimate that premiums on individually purchased health insurance would be higher than they would be under current law implemented as planned. Additionally, the number of uninsured Americans would increase if the mandate was delayed.
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