As of January 1, 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires most U.S. citizens and lawful residents to either have “minimum essential coverage” or to pay a federal tax. This provision is known as the “Individual Mandate”. The PPACA also requires each state to have a “Health Insurance Marketplace” (formerly called an Exchange) where individuals and small employers can purchase health insurance policies. People who have health coverage through employment or through a government program (such as Medicare, Medicaid or others) are not required to buy insurance in a Marketplace. This article explains the Individual Mandate, Subsidies, and the Medicaid Expansion provisions of the PPACA.
This Article has been updated from the previous version from 10/23/2013.
PDF to the full article: Basics of Individual Mandate 5-30-14