Is Health Insurance Mandatory Now? 
Starting January 2014 regulations set forth in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act mandate that all individuals must have health insurance that at very least qualifies as MEC -LRB- minimum essential Coverage -RRB- . In pursuit of equitable coverage options there have been several regulations that will assist most individuals . If a individual works for a business that does not provide health insurance that meets MEC standards or if the premiums for the employer health plan is greater then 9.5 % of a individuals MAGI then they will be able to obtain coverage through the insurance exchanges , State/Federal/or Private . Depending on the relation of their income to the federal poverty line the individual may be entitled to a federal subsidy that will help them to pay the cost of the health insurance in part or in full . If an individual chooses not to obtain health insurance then they will be subject to a penalty of just over $ 1,100 a year for 2014 . The penalties will increase considerably in 2015 and then again in 2016 . 