History: Penned in 1947
Posted on 07/02/2009 3:18:48 PM PDT by Libloather
Senate bill fines people refusing health coverage
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR – 58 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans who refuse to buy affordable medical coverage could be hit with fines of more than $1,000 under a health care overhaul bill unveiled Thursday by key Senate Democrats looking to fulfill President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the fines will raise around $36 billion over 10 years. Senate aides said the penalties would be modeled on the approach taken by Massachusetts, which now imposes a fine of about $1,000 a year on individuals who refuse to get coverage. Under the federal legislation, families would pay higher penalties than individuals.
In a revamped health care system envisioned by lawmakers, people would be required to carry health insurance just like motorists must get auto coverage now. The government would provide subsidies for the poor and many middle-class families, but those who still refuse to sign up would face penalties.
Called "shared responsibility payments," the fines would be set at least half the cost of basic medical coverage, according to the legislation.
In 2008, employer-provided coverage averaged $12,680 a year for a family plan, and $4,704 for individual coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's annual survey. Senate aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the cost of the federal plan would be lower but declined to provide specifics.
The legislation would exempt certain hardship cases from fines.
The new proposals were released as Congress neared the end of a weeklong July 4 break, with lawmakers expected to quickly take up health care legislation when they return to Washington. With deepening divisions along partisan and ideological lines, the complex legislation faces an uncertain future.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
I wonder what this will do to the many people who are members of Christian “health sharing” groups such as Samaritan Ministries. It’s not technically health insurance.
Our freedoms have been taken away gradually over the years as hospitals cannot refuse emergency treatment, and more and more is done for the uninsured, all on the insureds backs.
There is ALREADY, and has been for some time, socialized medicine in the US. We don’t let someone with a compound fracture bleed to death on the street.
Now we’re just trying to figure out a better way to pay for it. I don’t like this one, but I also can’t figure out another! I do like the Maryland law that lets kids stay on insurance till age 25. That keeps a lot of them insured, with Mom and Dad paying, that would ordinarily “wing it”.
I think I could be convinced to accept mandatory super-high-deductible insurance. Then the hospital could come after the patient for the first $10,000 or so, and the rest out of an insurance plan.
All this shouting about freedom goes away when it’s you with the broken leg.
You have nailed one of the big fraud potentials of 0b0z0 Care, the illegals who will probably be covered:
“So, let’s see: An illegal alien doesn’t join a program and shows up at the emergency room. Will anything change under the new bill (aside from other initiatives which will make him a citizen and give him the money to join a program as part of his welfare)?”
With estimates of 10 to 40 million illegals in America, this could become an even bigger nightmare:
40 million illegals, where does that come from: http://www.theamericanresistance.com/ref/illegal_alien_numbers.html
This was on Fox News this morning and in our local fishwrap.
My trophy wife and I had to laugh while thinking about those who voted for 0b0z0 and 0b0z0 care because they thought that it would be free and provided by us.
California is loaded with workers, who opt out of any health insurance coverage. They voted for 0b0z0 and his Ob0z0 care because they thought that it would be free for them. Wrong!
My friend, you need to understand that illegal aliens will be EXEMPT. Obama is going to give them all full DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY! LOL.
0b0z0 has done his history on FDR and Harry Truman re socialism for America.
If we do nothing more than stop spending our tax dollars on health care, and instead require that people pay for their own health care, the health care costs will drop, and the country would save billions in tax dollars.
Of course, we are never going to get rid of medicare, which presumably was paid for by the people getting it now (through the 1.45% medicare tax). We would have to get rid of that in order to really keep government out of the health care business.
None that I can see. That's why I oppose it. But we are pretty much stuck with Medicare, which supposedly is paid for by every citizen through our medicare taxes, and then given back to us when we retire, just like Social Security.
I would forgo the coverage I've paid for for over 30 years, in order to get the government out of health care. But many people feel rightly entitled to the health insurance they paid the government for throughout their lives.
However, given that we don't want our tax dollars paying for everybody's medical care, how do we deal with people who get sick and can't pay for their own treatment?
We simply will not (not "can not", and not "should not", but "wil not") leave them to die in the street in front of our hospitals.
So instead, the proposal is to require health insurance -- so we no longer have to worry about people not being able to get treatment, since they will have coverage. But there is no government authority to force people to have health insurance. Many states require car insurance, but driving is not a right (for some strange reason), and the requirement is for coverage for people you HIT, not your own car.
So, if we allow people to opt out of required insurance, by signing away their right to expect free treatment, then when they are dying in the street in front of the hospital, we can say "look, that is what they chose, while others were paying for insurance they were buying big screen TVs and taking expensive vacations, and now they are paying for their choice with their life".
Currently, some of us work hard and buy insurance, and our medical dollars pay not only for ourselves, but for illegal immigrants and U.S. citizens who spend their money on luxuries and then expect others to pay for their medical treatment. That is the problem we need to solve -- the ability of poeple to leech off of others.
The two big issues that are never discussed are (1) what will be done about those who won't pay or play, and are untouchable through the tax code (i.e., illegals and drifters), and (2) what will happen to medical tort reform, if anything. You could save so much money if you did the second that you could (although you shouldn't) pretty much afford the first.
Think about it: A doctor's defense against not ordering sufficient tests will become the government's treatment card of what he is allowed to order. And, its tough to sue the government.
Car insurance is optional in every state.
Liability insurance is required in Texas. Proof of insurance is required for paying tags, and now they have passed a law that they will impound your car if you don’t have it.
No you don’t get it you will have to pay the fine AND join the Gubmint plan.
It’s an unconstitutional, illegal federal power grab! More federal government intrusion into our lives is NEVER the solution to ANY problem. Federal intrusion IS the problem! Get the government OUT of our lives and OFF our backs!!
This is AMERICA, dammit! We are AMERICANS!! We are a FREE people!! We defend and FIGHT for our FREEDOM against ALL enemies foreign and DOMESTIC!! Always have, always will!!
Suck it up and quit whining about the “unfairness” of it all. That’s for liberal wimps, losers and slaves!! Fight for your freedom and the freedom of your posterity!! That is YOUR constitutional duty as an American and responsibility as a man!!
Those who go along with this kind of treasonous horseshit are the enemy within!!
Nationwide TEA Party this weekend!! Be there!!
DONT TREAD ON ME!!
so much for his campaign promise to make health care something that people could have or not take, it was going to be voluntary.
I guess it still is in Obama’s eyes, you can take the health care and pay the fees they impose or you can voluntarily pay the fine for not doing like a good little citizen of the world and doing what he says is best for you.
Our founding fathers are turning over in their graves right now.
They figure wrong, of course. I have choices with cars. I can buy a cheaper car (lower ins rates), I can buy a car with better crash ratings (lower), I can get none or fewer tickets (lower). Or I can own no car and pay nothing, and the government doesn't fine me for that.
The GOP is getting dumber (hard to believe). BHO is handing them so may beautiful hot button issues that would love 30 or 60 second spots. Billboards, too. And they are doing absolutely nothing. They could cream the Dems in the public arena. They can't outvote the Dems in congress, so they roll over and lick their [very small] stones.
It's not difficult to see how some people see them as throwing the election. It's almost easier to believe in a conspiracy than to swallow the notion that these people could be so incredibly STUPID AND GUTLESS.
List at least 10 states
It is mandatory in FL and Ky. There is a minimum required coverage, you have the option of increased coverage above that.
Outrageous.
Au contraire. Lots of people in those states legally have no auto insurance.
By "those states" do you mean KY or FL? Because if you own a car it must, by law, be registered and insured. Unless it is parked inside a building/garage. If it is in a driveway, i.e. visible, it is supposed to be tagged and insured. You can't get a tag without proof of insurance.
You cannot *legally* own an auto that you drive on the street in FL without insurance.
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