Does the health care reform law require everyone to buy health insurance?

The goal of health care reform is to make health care affordable and available to all people. The law requires everyone to have health insurance by 2014. Most health coverage (employer, individual, Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, active duty military and retiree coverage and Peace Corps coverage) satisfies this requirement. 

If you choose not to have health care coverage, you’ll have to pay extra on your taxes. 

You may be exempt from this requirement if:

• You’re a low-income individual
• You’re a member of an Indian tribe
• You live outside the U.S. 

To find out more, view our individual mandate reform alert.