House insurance committee passes bill to exempt residents from Obamacare penalties

State legislators pass bill to block individual mandate penalties under the ACA

House insurance committee passes bill to exempt residents from Obamacare penalties

Life & Health

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The Louisiana House Insurance Committee voted 9-4 on Wednesday to approve legislation that exempts residents of the state from the penalties imposed by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for failing to obtain health insurance.

House Bill 6 directs the heads of all executive branch departments and agencies to request waivers, deferments, exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement of the provisions of the ACA that imposes such penalties. The bill is still up for consideration by the full House.

Several members of the committee pointed out that the federal government controls the laws involving the individual mandate, said a report by The Advocate. The bill’s author, Rep. Paul Hollis, said it was important for the Louisiana legislature to forbid state government from enforcing the penalties.

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A critic of the bill, Linda Hawkins of the League of Women Voters, said the measure may drive premiums up by 15%, as it does not require healthy individuals to buy insurance.

The ACA’s individual mandate applies to those who can afford health insurance but choose not to buy it. According to the federal government the fee is calculated in two ways – per person, and as a percentage of household income. A person paying the fine will have to pay whichever is higher.

The per-person fee for 2017 is $695 per adult and $347.50 per child (up to $2,085 for a family). The other calculation is 2.5% of household income above the yearly tax filing requirement.


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