42 USC § 18115 - Freedom not to participate in Federal health insurance programs

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s18115"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "42 USC § 18115 - Freedom not to participate in Federal health insurance programs"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
section_number: "18115"
section_name: "Freedom not to participate in Federal health insurance programs"
chapter_number: 157
chapter_name: "QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS"
subchapter_number: "VI"
subchapter_name: "MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 111–148, title I, § 1555, Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 260.)"
---


# § 18115. Freedom not to participate in Federal health insurance programs

No individual, company, business, nonprofit entity, or health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage shall be required to participate in any Federal health insurance program created under this Act (or any amendments made by this Act), or in any Federal health insurance program expanded by this Act (or any such amendments), and there shall be no penalty or fine imposed upon any such issuer for choosing not to participate in such programs.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 111–148, title I, § 1555, Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 260.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This Act, referred to in text, is , , , known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under  and Tables.