Jon the Walker is correct here, not Jon the Chait, unsurprisingly.Almost no writer on the left actually understands the ACA. Adding the individual mandate significantly increases the CBO cost of the law. This is why the GOP used repeal of it as a pay for in their reconciliation bill. https://t.co/IQqEDr0zCb
— Jon Walker (@JonWalkerDC) April 7, 2022
The mandate is dead, so the debate over its value is moot, but this is a fun example about how centrist "wonks" can't ever accept that not only are their preferred solutions unpopular and bad, but also quite often more expensive!
In policy "expensive" is determined by the CBO, which in various ways puts its whole ass on the scale against any progressive policies, but, no, the mandate was not put in to make the bill appear to be cheaper, it was put in despite making it more expensive, as defined by CBO.
The mandate was unnecessary because the stick of not having health insurance, if it is possibly affordable, is already much larger than a $1000 fine. Colossal mistake by the wonks.