President Barack Obama has urged Congress to approve health care reform in 2009. As of September, three major proposals were under consideration in the House and Senate, and all three included an individual mandate that would require people to have health insurance.

Obama has said he supports the individual mandate as long as it includes a hardship exemption for a people who are genuinely unable to find affordable coverage after health reform passes. (In fact, Obama changed position on this issue. As a candidate he did not support the individual mandate.) Some might argue that only a single-payer system is a truly universal health care plan.

The standard for universal coverage we use here is a health reform plan that includes an individual mandate with limited exemptions. This was the standard for universal coverage that was widely discussed during the presidential campaign, especially in the Democratic primary.

All of the Democratic health proposals under consideration include an individual mandate. We'll be watching this provision to see if it survives the legislative process. So we rate this promise In the Works.