HHS Acting Secretary Hargan Praises Passage of Tax Reform, Repeal of Obamacare’s Individual-Mandate Tax

U.S. Health and Human Services Acting Secretary Eric D. Hargan released the following statement after Congress passed tax reform legislation that includes a repeal of Obamacare's individual mandate:

“This tax reform legislation is a major step toward real healthcare freedom for our country, thanks to its repeal of the individual mandate. The mandate tax fell almost entirely on working class Americans, millions of whom decided that they didn’t want or can’t afford Washington-dictated healthcare plans.

“The broader tax reforms included in the bill will help boost the strong economic growth we have already seen under President Trump. A healthier economy is a boon to the health and well-being of Americans.”

Background:

The tax legislation passed by Congress repeals the individual-mandate tax penalty effective for tax year 2019.

In 2015, according to the IRS, nearly 6.7 million Americans paid the federal government more than $3 billion under the individual mandate.

Seventy-nine percent of households who paid the mandate tax in 2015 made less than $50,000.