Penalty Hike For Mass. Uninsured

Penalties are going up for Massachusetts residents who can afford health insurance, but refuse to get it.

The maximum penalty is now more than $1,000 per year.

Bob Bliss, of the State Department of Revenue, says most people who can afford health insurance, have it.

"This approach appears to be working" says Bliss. "It is designed to be gradual. It wasn't designed to club people over the head. In fact there were some people who thought that the penalty should be higher."

People who cannot afford health insurance can file for an exemption.