Only 13 percent of uninsured to be penalized; collecting penalties could be difficult

Only 13 percent of the 30 million uninsured Americans will be penalized under federal health reform, according to a report by the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation. "That's down from 6 million in their September 2012 projection, mostly because of an increase in those who qualify for an exemption from the individual mandate," Jason Millman reports for The Washington Post. Health reform has been a hard sell in many rural areas. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found that only 26 percent of rural residents approve of Obamacare.

But collecting the penalty, which in 2014 starts at $95 for an adult or 1 percent of taxable income, is another matter, Millman writes. The report states: "Among the uninsured people subject to the penalty, many are expected to voluntarily report on their tax returns that they are uninsured and to pay the amount owed. However, other people will try to avoid payments."

The groups "expect people earning more than 400 percent of the federal poverty level—the cut-off point for federal tax credits to purchase coverage on Obamacare exchanges—will pay the greatest share of the penalty in 2016," Millman writes. (Read more)