In a surprise move, the Obama administration essentially lifted the individual mandate last night for anyone who saw their insurance policy cancelled thanks to the Affordable Care Act, just days before the Dec. 23 deadline to sign up for Jan. 1 coverage. These consumers will be able to apply for a hardship exemption if they think the plans on the government-run exchanges are too expensive, allowing them to buy bare-bones "catastrophic" coverage instead, or simply duck the requirement entirely, the Washington Post reports.