Senate Plan Kills ObamaCare's Individual Mandate

Senate Republicans have released a 142-page draft of their bill to eliminate much of the Obama health care law, reports the AP. Details are emerging, but in its broad strokes the measure would cut and revamp Medicaid, the health care program for lower-income and disabled people; repeal tax increases Obama's law imposed on higher-income people and medical industry companies to pay for expanded coverage; and end the tax penalty that Obama's statute imposes on people who don't buy insurance—in effect, ending the so-called individual mandate.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is hoping to push the measure through the Senate next week. But its fate remains uncertain. It faces uniform Democratic opposition, and at least a half-dozen Republicans—both conservatives and moderates—have complained about it. (More health care reform stories.)