WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress' nonpartisan budgetary analysts say ending the requirement that most people buy health insurance would save less money than was estimated earlier.
The Congressional Budget Office says repealing the so-called individual mandate would save $338 billion over a decade. The office had estimated $416 billion in savings earlier this year.
Republicans have said they're considering repealing the individual mandate in their tax bill. The savings would give them more room to cut other taxes in their legislation. Wednesday's smaller budget office estimate means they'd have less money to play with.
President Donald Trump wants to include the repeal in tax legislation. Doing so would complicate the tax bill's passage because of GOP divisions over health care, and so far the repeal is not in the House or Senate versions.