Experts Say New Hardship Exemptions Show HHS' Hand On Enforcement Plans, But Impact Unclear

Stakeholders say the Trump administration's recent guidance creating additional exemptions to the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate could hurt the existing risk pools, but the guidance’s full effect may depend on whether the administration heavily publicizes the new options for consumers to avoid a penalty. The guidance, released Monday (April 9) and effective immediately , says that consumers living in counties with no or with only one insurer are not subject to the individual mandate penalty. Also, consumers who morally...