RAND Expert Available to Address Impact of Removing Individual Mandate from Health Reform

RAND economist Christine Eibner is available to discuss how removing the individual mandate from the federal Affordable Care Act might affect the cost of health insurance. The U.S. Supreme Court next week will consider challenges to the Affordable Care Act, including claims the individual mandate is unconstitutional.

Christine Eibner is the author of the recent report "The Effect of the Affordable Care Act on Enrollment and Premiums, With and Without the Individual Mandate," which concludes that ending the individual mandate would sharply lower the number of people gaining coverage, but would not dramatically increase the cost of buying policies through new insurance exchanges. Eibner's other recent work has examined the impact of the Affordable Care Act on small businesses. She also co-authored a recent op-ed in USA Today on the individual mandate.