A report published on January 13 by the Health Affairs/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Brief Series examines the evolution of the concept of the “individual mandate” to acquire health insurance, as well as its implementation, enforcement, exemptions and basic requirements.

From the report:

The separate versions of health reform legisla­tion passed by the two houses of Congress would impose a national individual mandate requiring most Americans to have health insurance. New standards would be set to determine “acceptable” minimum coverage and spell out how much peo­ple needed to contribute out of their own pockets. Depending on an individual’s circumstances, cov­erage could be obtained in various ways, including through employers, through government health programs, or through new federal or state health insurance exchanges. Subsidies would make coverage more affordable for low- and moderate-income people, and insurance market reforms would make coverage more accessible and reli­able. Penalties would be imposed on individuals who did not obtain coverage and who were not ex­empted from the requirement for various reasons.

Full report: http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id=54508

Health Affairs & Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2010). Individual mandate: Congress is now weighing different versions of a requirement that individuals obtain health insurance.