When Senate Republicans proposed the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a major point of focus was the elimination of ACA-mandated taxes, including the Employer and Individual Mandates, which fund ACA-related tax credits. However, as the Trump Administration is moving forward with the ACA, Americans can make use of some ACA-related tax credits. Earlier this month, the two GOP Senators from Tennessee, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, introduced a bill where Americans can purchase off-Marketplace plans with their ACA Premium Tax Credits.
This bill applies to those counties with health markets that lack qualified health plans and also relieves individuals of the individual mandate. While these plans must still maintain compliance with insurance regulations on a state level, it is still unclear if they must fulfill ACA compliance on a federal level. This move is a temporary fix to the lack of available qualified health plans in the Marketplace in certain counties and will remain in effect until the end of the plan year for 2019.
