“The mandate is still in effect”
That section you read pertained to someone buying a policy outside of enrollment periods. In that case, a policy premium may be applied for the balance of the year. I presume this would be for someone picking up insurance when they get sick.
The repeal of the mandate is here (I think):
SEC.05 INDIVIDUAL MANDATE.
(a) IN GENERAL
Section 5000A(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2)(B)(iii), by striking ‘‘2.5 percent’’ and inserting ‘‘Zero percent’’, and
(2) in paragraph (3)
(A) by striking ‘‘$695’’ in subparagraph (A) and inserting ‘‘$0’’, and
(B) by striking subparagraph (D).
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE
The amendments made by this section shall apply to months beginning after December 31, 2015.
SEC. 06. EMPLOYER MANDATE.
(a) IN GENERAL
(1) Paragraph (1) of section 4980H(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting ‘‘($0 in the case of months beginning after December 31, 2015)’’ after ‘‘$2,000’’.
(2) Paragraph (1) of section 4980H(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting ‘‘($0 in the case of months beginning after December 31, 2015)’’ after ‘‘$3,000’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE
The amendments made by this section shall apply to months beginning after December 31, 2015.
That doesn’t remove the mandate. That reduces the penalty to $0.