Tax bill could eliminate health insurance for 50,000 Mainers

Maine Beacon - US Senate Republicans’ proposal to reduce access to health care in order to pay for additional tax cuts for the wealthy, large corporations, and foreign investors would drive up the cost of health insurance in Maine significantly, and cause 50,000 fewer Mainers to have health insurance in 2027, according to a Maine Center for Economic Policy analysis. This is because the GOP tax plan now includes a provision to eliminate the Affordable Care Act’s “individual mandate” – the requirement that every American who can afford it have health insurance, or pay a penalty relative to their income level. This mandate is vital to protecting the health and stability of private insurance markets and reducing health care costs for everyone.