UNDATED (CNN) -- Two million more Americans than first estimated may be forced to pay a penalty when President Obama's health care reform goes into effect.
Under the law, Americans must be insured starting in 2014 or they will have to pay a fine based on their tax returns.
The Congressional Budget Office initially estimated that in 2016 roughly four million people a year would opt to pay the penalty instead of getting coverage.
But the CBO has raised that estimate, partially blaming a slow economy. It now says it expects six million people will choose to pay the fine instead of getting health insurance.
Penalty payments collected in 2016 are now expected to total $7 billion.
That's about $3 billion more than previously estimated.