,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #afga  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #g1  
#bjac,mr4 ,manchin 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,kirk7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill  ,to 
delay the implementation of the         
individual health coverage mandate under
 the ,patient ,protection and           
,affordable ,care ,act4  #a4 ,findings  
,congress finds the following3 7#a7     
,congress must ensure that healthcare is
 affordable and accessible4  7#b7       
,political disagreements must be set    
aside so that ,congress and the         
,president can work together to improve 
healthcare quality1 access1 and         
affordability4  7#c7 ,affordable access 
to preventative care can provide        
enormous benefits and reduce overall    
costs to all ,americans1 young and old4 
7#d7 ,individuals and families are      
ultimately responsible and accountable  
for their own well-being and long-term  

health1 and our laws should reflect this
 reality4  7#e7 ,subscribing to a       
healthy lifestyle should be a goal for  
all ,americans1 and ,congress should act
 in an appropriate and responsible      
manner to make this goal achievable4    
7#f7 ,there are many positive reforms   
included in the ,patient ,protection and
 ,affordable ,care ,act that are        
improving coverage1 ending              
discrimination1 and reducing costs4     
,requiring insurers to cover            
pre-existing conditions1 maternity care1
 and emergency services and allowing    
young adults to stay on their parents'  
plans until age #bf are examples of     
positive reforms in the ,act that must  
continue to be implemented4  7#g7       
,nevertheless1 it is important to       
recognize when a new program is not     
meeting the high standards that the     
,american people expect4 ,so far1 the   
,federal healthcare exchanges have      
failed1 and we must deliver a better    
product4  7#h7 ,while every program must

 go through a transition period1 no     
individual or family should be penalized
 while the problems in new healthcare   
exchanges are being addressed4  7#i7    
,congress should work toward fixing     
these flaws and ensuring the new        
programs are strong1 while giving the   
,american people a transition period4   
7#aj7 ,delaying the implementation of   
the ,patient ,protection and ,affordable
 ,care ,act is not an appropriate or    
responsible action1 but ,congress should
 not hesitate to enact commonsense      
reforms1 such as an individual mandate  
transition year1 to improve this        
important legislation4  #b4 #a-year     
delay of individual health coverage     
mandate  7a7 ,in general ,subsection 7a7
 of section #ejjj;,a of the ,internal   
,revenue ,code of #aihf is amended by   
striking #bjac and inserting #bjad4  7b7
 ,conforming amendments  7#a7           
,subparagraph 7,b7 of section           
#ejjj;,a7c77#b7 of the ,internal        
,revenue ,code of #aihf is amended by   

striking clause 7i7 and by redesignating
 clauses 7ii7 and 7iii7 as clauses 7i7  
and 7ii71 respectively4  7#b7           
,subparagraph 7,b7 of section           
#ejjj;,a7c77#c7 of such ,code is amended
 by striking #ie for #bjad and4  7#c7   
,paragraph 7#a7 of section #ejjj;,a7e7  
of such ,code is amended-- 7,a7 by      
striking #h percent in subparagraph 7,a7
 and inserting the applicable           
percentage1  7,b7 by striking ,indexing 
in the heading of subparagraph 7,d7 and 
inserting ,applicable percentage1 and   
7,c7 by striking ,in the case of plan   
years beginning in any calendar year    
after #bjad1 subparagraph 7,a7 shall be 
applied by substituting for #h percent  
and inserting ,in the case of plan years
 beginning in any calendar year1 the    
applicable percentage is4  7c7          
,effective date ,the amendments made by 
this section shall apply to months      
beginning after ,december #ca1 #bjac4