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Latest Policy Snapshot Examines Policy Alternatives to the Federal Health Reform Law’s Individual Mandate Provision

Of all the provisions in the recently enacted federal healthcare reform law, none has evoked as much controversy as the law’s minimum coverage requirement, which requires most individuals to maintain minimum essential health coverage starting in 2014 or face a financial penalty. Popularly called the individual mandate, the law’s minimum coverage requirement is chief among provisions fueling lawsuits and legislative challenges across the country.

The potential for the individual mandate to ultimately be deemed unconstitutional has caused many to consider how such a ruling would impact federal healthcare reform. Can the law achieve its goals without the minimum coverage provision? This month’s policy snapshot, Federal Health Reform and the Individual Mandate Part II: Policy Alternatives, examines alternatives to the individual mandate.

For a complete listing of policy snapshots, visit our website.