History of the individual mandate
The concept of the individual health insurance mandate is considered to have originated in 1989 at the conservative Heritage Foundation. In 1993, Republicans twice introduced health care bills that contained an individual health insurance mandate. Advocates for those bills included prominent Republicans who today oppose the mandate including Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Robert Bennett (R-UT), and Christopher Bond (R-MO).
First introduction of the individual mandate:
November, 1993 Consumer Choice Healthy Security Act
Sponsored by Senator Don Nickles (R-OK) & 24 Republican cosponsors
November, 1993 Health Equity and Access Reform Today Act
Sponsored by Senator John H. Chafee (R-RI) & 20 cosponsors (18-R, 2D)
http://healthcarereform.procon.org/v...ourceID=004182