Will the Individual Mandate Portion of Health Reform Become Law?

The individual mandate portion of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act took center stage during day two of the Supreme Court hearings focused on the law.

The portion of the law in question would require individuals to purchase  health-care coverage from private entities, or insurance companies. The  plaintiffs, including the National Federation of Independent Business, claim  this is unconstitutional because government is “forcing” citizens to  buy coverage.

The question brought up during the hearings Tuesday was where the line will be drawn on government regulation and intervention.

After Monday’s hearing, it seemed unlikely that the nine Supreme Court Justices would wait to rule until 2016, when the penalty fees from the law would go into effect, according to the SCOTUS blog.