09.26.13

Murkowski Co-Sponsors One Year Delay for Individual Mandate

Senator Continues Efforts to Dismantle, Delay Health Care Law

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Lisa Murkowski today co-sponsored S. 1488, which would allow all Americans the same one-year delay from the individual mandate that the Obama administration has already given businesses from complying with the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Yesterday, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department issued a report showing that Alaskans will pay the second-highest premiums in the country under the new health insurance exchanges.

“The White House has already delayed the employer mandate for a year, delayed for a year the caps on out-of pocket expenses and just today postponed registration for some online exchanges – enough is enough,” said Murkowski. “I don’t believe in the double-standard of only giving businesses who successfully lobbied this administration a delay; I believe every American deserves a break from this unworkable law.”

Senator Murkowski has repeatedly called for the law’s repeal, postponement or permanent delay, and co-sponsored the following bills relating to the Affordable Care Act this year:

  • S. 40 - the American Liberty Restoration Act, which would repeal the individual mandate;
  • S. 399 - the American Job Protection Act, which would repeal the employer mandate;
  • S. 232 – the Medical Device Access and Innovation Protection Act, which would repeal the medical device tax, and
  • S. 1525 - the Trust But Verify Act, which would delay health insurance exchanges from opening until a full inspection of data networks’ security is conducted to maintain information privacy.

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