United States

'Obamacare' Barely Survived 2017, But New Year Could Bring Tumult

While the mandate's full impact isn't yet known, insurers have not taken well to unpredictability in the past

After a year in which the Affordable Care Act's fate hung by a thread, 2018 is likely to feature fewer mortal threats. But the next 12 months could still be a tumultuous period as insurers, customers and elected officials react to major changes to the law by the Trump administration and the Republican Congress.

"I think we'll probably move on to other issues," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told NPR last week.

While they fell short of full repeal, Republicans did manage to make a major change to the Affordable Care Act, also called "Obamacare," by passing a tax bill that eliminates the individual mandate, a penalty for people who go without insurance that was created by the Affordable Care Act, NBC News reported.

While the mandate's full impact isn't yet known, insurers have not taken well to unpredictability in the past. The change, along with other moves, will add more of it in 2018 as insurers decided their rates for the following year and whether to participate in "Obamacare's" exchanges at all.

Contact Us