What is the “individual mandate”? The minimum coverage provision is sometimes referred to as the “individual mandate.” Increasing the number of Americans with coverage will help cut down on the “hidden tax” people with insurance pay to support the cost of caring for those who don’t have insurance. People with very low income or with premiums that are unaffordable will be exempt from paying a modest penalty for failing to have health benefits coverage; so will other groups, such as people who have only short gaps in health benefits coverage. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that only 1 percent.
