Cassidy health plan: The third way | TheHill

If the court rules against the Obama administration, three things will happen: (1) in order to continue with health insurance acquired in an exchange, people will have to pay the full premium out of their own pockets, but (2) the individual mandate will no longer apply unless people can find a plan that costs no more than 8.5 percent of their income and (3) the employer mandate in affected states will no longer apply. 

We now have competing estimates on the left and the right about what all this will mean. 

An Urban Institute study maintains that if the court decides for King, 9.8 million currently insured people will lose their health insurance – assuming states that have not expanded Medicaid continue not to do so. On the other hand, an American Action Forum (AAF) study estimates that more than 11 million people will be liberated from the employer and individual mandates.  That means they will avoid a $1,200 fine – the average penalty this year for those who didn’t comply. They will be able to pay lower premiums for more affordable insurance. The study also finds that affected workers will earn nearly $1,000 more and 1.2 million more people will join the workforce.   

So what should be done if the court rules for King?

Read More via Cassidy health plan: The third way | TheHill.