Question: if the current bill with it’s mandatory purchase requirement intact becomes law, what about children? Will parents be forced to fork over a few thousand bucks per year, per child, in addition to their own coverage?

Sounds to me like parents, already more financially strapped on average than those without children, will see their dependent deduction completely wiped out, and then some with such a requirement.

Compare and contrast: my employer-provided health insurance charges more to move from a husband-and-wife policy to a family plan, but the difference is marginal - just a few bucks more per month - and it isn’t levied on a per-child basis. In short, it seems to be much, much cheaper than what the government is proposing.