This would be the first time that the federal government has said you must purchase a product by virtue of being a citizen of this nation and if you failed to do so you will penalized. Virginia health insurance officials and government are working on a bill to declare it illegal in Virginia to require a person to purchase health insurance.
The state legislation takes aim at the individual health insurance mandate provision that could be part of a federal health care reform package being negotiated by congressional leaders.
The full Virginia Senate will now debate whether state residents will be held to possible federal mandates on Virginia health insurance after a series of bills passed the chamber’s commerce and labor committee.
On Jan. 25, by an 8-to-7 vote, the committee passed three similar bills, all rejecting any possible mandate on individuals to secure Virginia health insurance. Such a mandate could come as a result of ongoing negotiations in the U.S. House and Senate to combine their respective bills into one comprehensive health care reform measure for the president’s signature. It also featured similar language banning any federal mandates for coverage, as well as exempting state residents from any penalty, assessment, fee or fine as a result of failing to secure Virginia health insurance.