Yes, the individual mandate penalty, a key provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), was effectively repealed in 2019. Here's what happened:

1. Original Purpose
The individual mandate required most Americans to have health insurance or face a financial penalty. It was designed to encourage enrollment and balance the risk pool by including healthy individuals, which helps stabilize insurance markets.

2. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
In December 2017, Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which reduced the penalty for not having insurance to $0, starting in 2019. While the mandate technically still exists, there is no financial consequence for non-compliance, effectively neutralizing it.

3. State-Level Mandates
Some states, including California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, enacted their own individual mandates to replace the federal penalty. Residents of these states may still face penalties if they lack health insurance.

4. Impact on the ACA
The repeal of the federal penalty weakened the individual mandate but did not dismantle the ACA. Insurance markets and coverage levels have remained stable, partly due to increased subsidies and Medicaid expansion in many states.

If you're in a state with its own mandate, be sure to check local requirements. Let me know if you'd like more details on state-specific rules!