James Lansberry, president of the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries, and vice president of Samaritan Ministries International, explains that the employer mandate within Obamacare, which was to take effect in January, 2014, will delay implementing penalties for non-compliance for one year. However, the individual mandate is still in effect, and the state exchanges are supposed to be operating as early as October 1, 2013. But other options are still available, including participating in a health sharing ministry rather than purchasing insurance.