[kabar]

As others have suggested the Individual Mandate was always a throwaway to get the heavy taxes inside the bill enacted.

That's insane. Without the individual mandate, Obamacare collapses like a house of cards. It becomes financially unsustainable. It is the linchpin of the entire bill.

[WOSG]

“That’s insane. Without the individual mandate, Obamacare collapses like a house of cards. It becomes financially unsustainable. It is the linchpin of the entire bill. “

Correct.

The house of cards is the forcing of insurance companies to accept preexisting conditions without jacking up rates.
Force insurance companies to do that, and people will ‘game’ the system to take insurance only after they need it. Hence the mandate.