It seems as if regulators in Massachusetts are getting ready to increase the penalty for living in the state without insurance. The current penalty is $219 a year and regulators would like to increase that to $912. That's a pretty hefty (tax) hike for the uninsured.

As Grace Marie-Turner noted last month, the individual mandate isn't working so well in Massachusetts. According to the State Revenue Commissioner, "we hope they will encourage people who can afford health insurance to buy it." But with rising insurance prices (between a 10% and 12% increase in the state) on the one hand and rising penalties for being uninsured on the other, many in Massachusetts are in unenviable financial position.