You Lie! Again! - Obama promised that if we like our current plan, we get to keep it.

ObamaCare: Paying the Same Amount For No Insurance As You Do Now For Having It?

The problem with mandates is that they require minimums. In order for the government to determine whether someone has successfully complied with the mandate, they have to determine what the floor is for acceptable coverage. And in the bills going through Congress, Heinze's affordable, hospital-only plan would be under the floor, and therefore off limits.

As Heinze explains:

The House health-care reform bill hinges on what it calls a "qualified" health-care plan. Individuals will be required by law either to buy a plan that meets the criteria of a qualified health-care plan or pay a fine. What are those criteria? They're the basic components of a comprehensive HMO-type plan, which means that Empire's "Tradition Plus" will not qualify because it covers only hospital costs. In other words, if President Obama signs into law the kind of health-care reform bill that is currently on the table, I will have only two choices: buy an expensive qualified plan or pay a fine for being uninsured.