Difference between revisions of "ObamaCare"

Revision as of 18:21, August 12, 2009

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Gestapo care is the term critics use to describe Congressional Democrats and the Obama administration's proposal through legislative mandates to require private citizens to purchase health care insurance under the threat of legal action if they do not. The new laws would impose as much as a $1000 fine on citizens for failure to comply.^[1] The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the revenue generating device could produce as much as $36 billion over ten years.

The fines are euphemistically dubbed "shared responsibility payments."^[2] Empolyers would be required to deduct the penalties from employees paychecks.^[3]

The State of Massachusetts has had a similiar program in place for several years.^[4]

The Healthy Americans Act

One such proposal would create a system to provide individuals the opportunity to purchase a Healthy Americans Private Insurance (HAPI) plan that meets the requirements of the Act. Adults (over age 19, U.S. citizens, not incarcerated) must enroll themselves and dependent children in a plan offered through the state-wide Health Help Agency (HHA) unless they provide evidence of enrollment or coverage through Medicare, a health insurance plan offered by the Department of Defense, an employee benefit plan through a former employer (i.e. retiree health plans), a qualified collective bargaining agreement, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the Indian Health Service. There may by a religious exemption under this proposal. Each adult would have the responsibility to enroll each child in a plan. Dependent children include individuals up to age 24 claimed by their parents for deductions in the tax code.

Penalty for Failure to Purchase Coverage

If an individual fails to purchase coverage and does not meet the exceptions or the religious exemption, then a financial penalty will be assessed. Under this particular proposal for Gestapo care, the penalty is calculated by multiplying the number of uncovered months times the weighted average of the monthly premium for a plan in the person’s coverage class and coverage area, plus 15 percent.

Fines will be paid to the HHA of the State in which the person resides. That agency also may establish a procedure to waive the penalty if the penalty poses a hardship. Each State shall determine appropriate mechanisms to enforce the requirement that individuals be enrolled, but the enforcement cannot be the revocation or ineligibility of coverage.^[5]

References