Without Individual Mandate, Does Health Law Unravel?
Stateline: Could The Federal Health Law Survive Without The Individual Mandate?Of all the complaints that have been made about the new federal health care law, the angriest have been against the law's "individual mandate," which requires everyone who can afford health insurance to purchase it or pay a fine. Starting in 2014, people who fail to buy in will be charged a tax penalty that will start at $95 a year and ratchet up to 1 percent of annual income for the more affluent. ... The mandate is a target not only of public resentment and political rancor but of myriad lawsuits and state legislation aimed at disabling it (Vestal, 4/6). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.