Lots of observers, including some very well placed ones in Congress, argue that health care will just be put aside now for a time and will wait for a later opportunity. They say it’s time to turn to tax reform. The “put it aside” argument assumes that the Trump administration will just continue to administer Obamacare as it has been, which is unlikely. This fall we may well see a much expanded “hardship exemption” for the individual mandate that could render the mandate essentially void, and the administration may also stop providing funds for cost-sharing reduction payments if Congress does not appropriate money for them.

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