The U.S. House has voted to delay a key part of the Affordable Care Act. The bill would postpone the individual mandate to purchase insurance for at least a year.
State officials say the vote is another attempt by House Republican leaders to sabotage the Affordable Care Act.
State health care officials are closely following this issue because Vermont is the only state in the country that requires all individuals to go through the state’s new Exchange when they purchase insurance policies after January first.
A delay in the individual mandate could allow consumers to buy insurance outside of the Exchange and it would remove penalties for people who choose not to buy insurance.
Last week, the Obama Administration announced that it’s delaying the employer mandate for a year because of concerns from the business community.
House Republican leaders argue that if it makes sense to delay the employer mandate, then the individual mandate should also be postponed. Congressman Peter Welch disagrees. He says it’s essential to implement the individual mandate on January first.
“It would be terrible for Vermont I mean that would really be a setback for us also you know we in Vermont understand something - if we want to achieve that goal that every one of us has health care coverage then we have to accept the responsibility that everyone has to help pay for it,” said Welch. “So the individual mandate is something that will ultimately be a very useful tool for us to achieve better health care and frankly lower cost health care,” says Welch.
Darcie Johnston is the director of Vermonters for Health Care Freedom. Her group wants participation in Vermont’s Exchange to be voluntary.
“I think that’s very important because I think without that we’re going to end up with more uninsured than we had previously,” said Johnston. “Because a number of people who were paying don’t like what’s being offered on the Exchange don’t like being forced into the Exchange they want the choice,” says Johnston
Mark Larson is the commissioner of the Department of Vermont Health Access – the agency that’s responsible for setting up the state Exchange which is known as Vermont Health Connect.
He says this debate is a distraction from the work his department needs to do in the coming months and he thinks it’s very confusing for consumers.
“I really don’t imagine any event that would lead to a change in the Affordable Care Act that would implement the options that the House of Representatives are considering today,” said Larson. “I think it’s not a practical focus of our time and attention right now,” he says.
Because President Obama has threatened to veto this bill, it seems unlikely that the U.S. Senate, with its Democratic majority, will give its approval to this legislation.
