IRS Confirms that Obamacare Individual Mandate is Optional

The IRS has followed-up comments by the President that people that find health insurance unaffordable, but are otherwise subject to the individual mandate, will not be fined if they claim a "hardship" exemption.  On www.healthcare.gov., the Administration lists 13 things that can be claimed as a "hardship" for purposes of the exemption from the individual mandate.  A 14th item specifies that the exemption applies if a person "experienced another hardship in obtaining health insurance."  That opens the floodgates and makes the individual mandate completely illusory, with IRS having no way to monitor claimed hardships.  Given that forcing people to buy insurance is the key to Obamacare, the recognition by IRS that the individual mandate is really optional effectively guts the law.  IRS Health Care Tax Tip 2014-04 (Mar. 20, 2014).