Catastrophic plans are ACA compliant so the penalty is not applicable. However, to be eligible for a Cat plan you must either be under age 30 or live in an area where the lowest cost Bronze plan is more than 8.13% MAGI.
As explained in posts #38 and #40, the Cat plan premium will not be significantly different from a Bronze plan premium in FL.
Thanks for the clarification. I guess there is no 'third option'. I was hoping that there was a 'shadow market' of reputable carriers offering non-ACA compliant insurance policies for people like me, who really only want/need catastrophic coverage but don't qualify under the ACA rules. Too bad.