Repealing key portions of Obamacare and leaving other parts in place, could result in 32 million people losing health insurance in 10 years while doubling the price of individual insurance premiums over that time, according to a report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
The New York Times, which reviewed the report, noted 18 million people could lose their insurance in the first year alone.
The newspaper notes the report "will only add to the headaches that President-elect Donald J. Trump and congressional Republicans face" as they push to repeal Obamacare and replace it.
The budget office had analyzed a bill that would have eliminated tax penalties for people who go without insurance, according to the Times. The bill also eliminated spending for the expansion of Medicaid and subsidies to help lower-income people buy insurance.
Under the bill, requirements were kept in place for insurers to provide coverage — at standard rates — to any applicant, despite any pre-existing medical conditions, the newspaper reported.
"Eliminating the mandate penalties and the subsidies while retaining the market reforms would destabilize the nongroup market, and the effect would worsen over time," the budget office said.
Meanwhile, Politico reports that the CBO analysis was prepared at the request of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats.
According to the website, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said: "This report assumes a situation that simple doesn’t exist and that no one in Congress advocates.
"After years of devastating news about the consequences of Obamacare, I can see why Democrats would want to change the subject."
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