"This [CBO] estimate is likely substantially inflated since Medicaid enrollees currently pay little to no out of pocket costs and most are not subject to the individual mandate penalty," the release stated.
The "individual mandate" refers to a provision in Obamacare that imposes a tax on non-Medicaid individuals who fail to purchase health insurance.
The CBO estimated that 4 million people would drop Medicaid coverage in 2018 rising to 7 million people by 2026 if the individual mandate were eliminated.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has delayed the start of lawmakers’ August recess in an attempt to round up at least 50 of the Senate’s 52 Republican votes needed to pass the legislation.
But with multiple defections on the Republican side, McConnell has also indicated a willingness to work with Democrats if his efforts fall short.
