Gallup: Nearly Half of Uninsured Unaware of Insurance Mandate

Forty-three percent of uninsured Americans are unaware they must buy health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to a Gallup poll.

Close to three out of four Americans said they were familiar with the ACA. Awareness of the law’s individual mandate, which requires most taxpayers to buy insurance or pay a penalty, was lower among uninsured people than the general public. Although a majority of uninsured respondents knew about the mandate, 43 percent were unfamiliar with it—compared with just 14 percent of those who have insurance.