About four million people "could be fined for failing to buy health insurance when the health overhaul law is fully in force in 2016, the Congressional Budget Office forecast on Thursday," Reuters reports, adding: "Most individuals must buy health insurance under the landmark legislation passed by Congress last month, or face fines that will be phased in."

The penalty would raise about $4 billion a year from 2017-2019, the CBO said. Starting in 2016, people without coverage could be fined $695 or up to 2.5 percent of their income for not having health insurance, but many of the 21 million likely to remain uninsured in that year will avoid the penalties. "Democrats called the numbers unsurprising and said that those paying penalties amounted to 1.5 percent of the population" (Dixon, 4/22).