Insurance companies just made that critique of the latest plan--no mandate. Yet it was Republicans like Gingrich who "invented" the individual mandate. You need a mandate to enlarge the pool and spread risk or the Republican plan will not work. They have two substitutes for the mandate-- a large penalty if you let your insurance lapse and a waiting period if you do not subscribe when you are elible-- you cannot wait until you are sick to get insurance, but insurance companies are saying their experience has been that the tax increase is more effective.