No 2019 and 2020 Tax Penalty For Not Having Health Insurance Under ObamaCare

[Updated] Will i still have to pay health insurance penalties (under the Obamacare individual mandate)? This is the question a lot of Americans are asking. The short answer is NO from 2019.  Here is why the individual mandate, a.k.a Obamacare penalty, is no longer in effect from 2019:

While Congressional Republicans were unable to muster the required majorities to pass several versions of House and Senate health care replacement bills, they were able to include a provision to repeal the individual mandate (i.e. the Obamacare penalty) via successfully passing their GOP tax reform bill to support President Trump’s tax reform agenda.

While the Obamacare penalty applied for 2017 and 2018 tax filings (per details and amounts below), for 2019 the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate provision requiring every eligible American to obtain health insurance or pay financial penalty when filing taxes has been permanently scrapped.

The individual mandate repeal does not mean that Obamacare or the broader ACA is dead – health insurance marketplaces and provisions like coverage for children under 26 are still in place. But it does deal a massive blow to the long term sustainability of ACA as it was based on ensuring enough healthy people buying health insurance (hence the penalty) to offset costs for providing subsidizing insurance to those who could not afford or were ineligible for employer sponsored insurance.

I will update as more details are made available and encourage you to follow or share this article via Facebook or Twitter.
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ObamaCare or the Affordable Care Act (ACA), is the law of the land now which means that all Americans with an income above a certain threshold have to purchase or have health insurance. The provision referred to as the individual mandate is what legally required most US citizens and legal residents to obtain private, employer sponsored or public health insurance (through state run exchanges). Based on the most recent data available it is estimated that the majority of the US population gets health insurance through their employers while 50 million people are uninsured. The remaining consumers either buy their own private insurance or are covered by federal/state government programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare.

Here is a summary table of the standard penalties for not having health insurance. Details on how the penalty is applied and individual exemption mandates are provided in subsequent sections.

YearPenalty (Single)Penalty (Family)Maximum Penalty
2019No penaltyNo penaltyNo penalty
2018$695 or 2.5% of income$2,085 or 2.5% of income$13,100
2017$695 or 2.5% of income$2,085 or 2.5% of income$13,100
2016$695 or 2.5% of income$2,085 or 2.5% of income$13,000
2015$325 or 2% of income$975 or 2% of income$12,500
2014$95 or 1% of income$285 or 1% of income$9,800

See this article for details on Republicans/Trump’s American Health Care Act (ACHA) to repeal individual mandate penalties and provide tax credits to offset the cost of providing insurance.

Individuals: For the 2014 tax year (reported/filed in 2015), individuals who did not have insurance would owed $95, or 1 percent of income, whichever is greater. For the 2015 tax year it rose to the greater of $325 or 2 percent of income. But the penalty for 2016 rose yet again, reaching $695, or 2.5 percent of income, whichever is greater. From 2017, the minimum tax penalty per person will rise each year with inflation. Estimates are provided on the table above and it is likely 2017 penalties and maximums will remain the same as 2016 given the low inflation environment. And for children 18 and under, the minimum per-person tax is half of that for adults ($47.50).  The tax penalty is pro-rated, so that a person who is not covered for only a single month would pay 1/12th of the tax that would be due for the full year.

While the focus is on the $95 (single adult) penalty, the actual penalty may be much more for higher income people because the percentage component of the penalty comes into play. For example, a single person whose MAGI is $35,000 and elects not to have health insurance, may be liable for a penalty of $249 ($35,000 – $10,150 = $24,850 x 1% = $249).

Families: For families the 2014 health insurance non-compliance penalty was capped at $285 per family, or 1% of income, whichever is greater. In 2015 it rose to the greater of $975 or 2 percent of income. For 2016, the penalty jumped sharply to $2,085 per family, or 2.5% of income, whichever is greater. From 2017, the penalty/tax will rise in line with inflation. The minimum amount per family is capped at triple the per-person tax, no matter how many individuals are in the taxpayer’s household. So, for example, a couple with one child over 18 (or two children age 18 or under), and no coverage, would pay a minimum of $285 in 2014, $975 in 2015 and $2,085 in 2016. And that would be the minimum no matter how many uninsured dependents a taxpayer has.

The maximum penalty (under the percentage of income criteria) is capped at the national average price of a bronze plan sold through the health insurance marketplace. For 2014 the maximum was $9,800, $12,500 in 2015 and then $13,000 in 2016. The 2017 maximum penalty is expected to stay the same as 2016 or rise marginally in line with inflation.

Individuals or families who fall below income-tax filing thresholds would not owe anything or get subsides or credits to offset health insurance costs (see section below on Health care premium tax credit). People who are unemployed or cannot find a policy that costs less than 8% of their modified adjusted gross income would also be exempt from penalties under the individual mandate. On the other hand, to offset the cost of providing insurance to low income households, individuals making more than $200,000 a year and couples earning above $250,000 will get additional health care taxes deducted as payroll taxes. These people are also hit with a 3.8 percent tax on investment income.

Employers: For employers with 50 or more workers could face federal fines for not providing insurance coverage. Several of the other changes would take effect much sooner. For the current and future impacts of health insurance on employers see this article.

Do I still have to pay the no coverage (individual mandate) penalty with Trump/GOP bill to repeal Obamacare?

President Donald Trump along with Congressional Republicans have started the process to repeal Obamacare in 2017 via the American Health Care Act (ACHA). The challenge they are current facing is that their still isn’t broad consensus for this Obamacare replacement plan and implementing a full replacement will take months, if not years. Without an effective replacement plan an ACA repeal could leave millions without access to health insurance and create significant financial turmoil within the American healthcare system. From a health care penalty perspective, there is the strong expectation that the individual mandate will be removed from 2018 if the ACHA bill is passed (changes may be retroactive). This means that those without health insurance in 2017 may only be subject to a partial or no penalty when filing taxes in 2018.

Note however that President Trump has signed an earlier Executive order that directed federal agencies to to waive or exempt health law-related provisions that would impose costs or penalties on individuals, to the extent permitted by law. But this “hardship clause” does not mean that taxpayers should NOT pay the penalty or delay filing ahead of any formal repeal law.

How Individual Health Care Coverage Will be Monitored

Employers have had to state the value of the health care benefits provided to each employee on their W-2 at the end of each year. Insurers (including employers who self-insure) that provide minimum essential coverage to any individual during a calendar year will also have to report certain health insurance coverage information to both the covered individual and the IRS. Thus, the IRS will ultimately be responsible for reporting an individuals and business’ non-compliance with purchasing health insurance.

Obamacare/Affordable Care Act Tax Forms

A number of tax payers will have more complicated tax returns this year with the need to account for health insurance coverage as part of the individual mandate of the new Affordable health care laws.

Taxpayers who get their health insurance through their employer or government sponsored programs like Medicare or Medicaid, which will be the majority, will be able to prove their compliance via their tax filing by check a box on their normal tax (1040 series) return validating they had insurance. But those who bought insurance on the health insurance exchanges with the help of federal subsidies (see below for income qualification levels) will receive a form 1095-A detailed their coverage and have to reconcile their payments with their income level.  HealthCare.gov, the federal exchange that serves 37 states, started to mail out 1095-A forms to customers said all forms should be mailed out by the end of January. This end of month deadline is also the same for state-run exchanges

Those who failed to report raises or bonuses to their respective health exchanges may have to pay back some amount of subsidy for purchasing health insurance via these exchanges. This may require them to complete additional forms (Form 8965 or 8962) to claim exemptions and determine the allowed premium tax credit.

Checking if you have the minimum essential coverage to meet the individual mandate

Minimum Essential Coverage under ObamacareThe IRS has provided details on what constitutes coverage under the new health care laws. If you meet this coverage you won’t face penalties.

There are also certain allowed exemptions from the individual mandate that include items like

  • Being uninsured for less than 3 months of the year
  • The lowest-priced coverage available to you would cost more than 8% of your household income
  • You don’t have to file a tax return because your income is too low
  • You’re a member of a recognized religious sect with religious objections to insurance, including Social Security and Medicare
  • You’re incarcerated (either detained or jailed), and not being held pending disposition of charges
  • You’re not lawfully present in the U.S. (illegal immigrants)
  • You qualify for a hardship exemption (homeless, evicted in the past 6 months, received a shut-off notice from a utility company etc)

But you will need to show evidence for these in your tax return (Form 8965) with your tax return.  when claiming the exemption and the IRS will be checking these quite thoroughly.

US citizens or residents who reside overseas and meet the IRS foreign residency criteria (generally 330 full days outside of the U.S. during a 12-month period) can also claim exemption from the individual mandate penalty via Form 8965.  If living overseas for a partial period of time that does not qualify you as a foreign resident for tax purposes coverage provided by your local employer (under an expatriate health plan) can count as qualified health coverage that precludes them from the penalty. One exemption that may be particularly relevant to U.S. citizens living abroad for a small part of a year is the exemption for a short coverage gap. This exemption provides that no shared responsibility payment will be due for a once-per-year gap in coverage that lasts less than three months.

ObamaCare Premium Tax Credit Subsidy and Federal Poverty Levels (FPL)

Lower income Americans that purchase health insurance under the Affordable Care Act may also be eligible for a premium tax credit or subsidy. This is paid in the form of a tax credit (in advance or when filing your tax return) and is based on household size and income relative to the federal poverty levels (FPL). To qualify for the premium tax credit the household modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) has to be between 100% and 400% of the FPL. This is shown in the table below for different household sizes. The actual amount of the tax credit will vary based income and household size, but can only be claimed if you purchase health insurance through a healthcare marketplace or exchange.

# Persons in Household2015 - 100% FPL income threshold2015 - 400% FPL income threshold2016 - 100% FPL income threshold2016 - 400% FPL income threshold
1$11,770$47,080$11,880$47,520
2$15,930$63,720$16,020$64,080
3$20,090$80,360$20,160$80,640
4$24,250$97,000$24,300$97,200
5$28,410$113,640$28,440$113,760
6$32,570$130,280$32,580$130,320
7$36,730$146,920$36,730$146,920
840,890$163,56040,890$163,560
9+add $4,160 for each additional person.add $16,640 for each additional person.add $4,160 for each additional personadd $16,640 for each additional person

Note: FPLs are higher in Alaska and Hawaii than in the mainland 48 states. The above limits increase with inflation every year. Eligibility for the subsidy/tax credit is based on income limits for the prior year (e.g your 2017 subsidy is based on your 2016 income levels).

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558 thoughts on “No 2019 and 2020 Tax Penalty For Not Having Health Insurance Under ObamaCare”

  1. My grandson has not had insurance since Nov. 2014. Not that we haven’t been trying. We filed for medicaid but this worker told my daughter to take him to a free clinic. He is only 4 years old. I am so upset! What do we do now? My daughter is working but is still low income.
    A worried Nana

    Reply
  2. I have health insurance and had it for the entire year of 2014. My husband did not have insurance for 2014. How will we be penalized? Will they count both of our incomes for the 1% fee? Or will they strictly take his income into consideration. We are married filing jointly.

    Reply
  3. I was unemployed most of 2014, so therefore unable to afford health insurance. I am being pentalized $95. Is this penalty for $95 for the year, or per month?

    Reply
      • And that’s a FN joke! Under $10k! So everyone with a family is FD! I’m not paying these taxes for no coverage. I’m paying the fine. I wouldn’t take this crap “insurance” if they paid me. Most doctors are dropping it anyway.

        Reply
  4. I get state medical card, since lost mu job a yr ago i have a prt x job but id make enuff to buy insurance, does the state send proof if that to u or IRS

    Reply
  5. Hello, My cousin doesn’t work, she takes care of her 2 young kids. She can’t afford to pay for insurance. She’s afraid if her boyfriend claims her on his taxes he will have to pay the 1% of his income as a penalty because she is uninsured. Is this true or would the penalty be 1% of her income which is nothing. They live in Ohio. Thanks!

    Reply
    • I lost my job in 2012 and have not been able to find a new one. I live with my boyfriend so I have a roof over my head. I have to sell my personal items just to make enough money to pay for my medications. He does not pay for any of my personal needs. However since he claims me as a dependent he had to pay a penalty of almost $500 because I can’t afford insurance.
      How is this fair to anyone?

      Reply
      • i don’t get your logic

        he should not claim you as a dependent if he is not taking care of you — it’s that simple!

        he basically wants to get all the tax benefit of claiming you with none of the obligations…. how is THAT fair?

        if he ends up owing more money due to your lack of coverage, he should simply not claim you. if he still comes out on top, he should still claim. it’s a simple calculation he can make. but don’t say it’s unfair, if anything he is abusing the system by claiming you as a dependent, getting a tax break, and not actually supporting you…

        Reply
        • If she has no income, he is supporting her. She just buys her personal needs. But rent, utilities, food? If he provides half of all that, then he can legally claim her as a dependent. He isn’t abusing the system.

  6. I am a 63 year old widow, live alone, draw social security benefits, and have a small savings which draws interest. I have been paying over $400.00 monthly for insurance and have now been notified by the Ins. co. that I do not have sufficient coverage and will need to get a new policy. My question is: Can I get Obama care, if my income is low enough that I am not required to file income tax. If so, Will I need to file a tax form to show my income?

    Reply
  7. I had Blue Cross of MS from Jan. 2014-April 2014 after leaving a job I was dropped. Went to another job no insurance and then job was terminated and picked up by another company which offered insurance in Sept. 2014. I didn’t get the medical but got the dental. What will I be penalized when filing my income tax?

    Reply
  8. I was working on taxes and my Husband has insurance with his job I’m unemployed so we are getting penalized $285 he has insurance I checked Obama care $870 a month with 12,000 deductible how am I supposed to feed my children sick of it

    Reply
  9. My husband had insurance through his employee ( which we only change enrollment if there is a life changing event) My Son and I were on Medicaid for 1 yr from his birth which was in november (2013), so it stopped in november 2014, and we didn’t qualify to continue and my son and Iosing health insurance for the last month or month and a half of year and this is not seen as a life changing event to be put on my husbands ( for this year we enrolled on his which of course wouldn’t start til the beginning of 2015 and niether would obamacare); SO! Would we still incur a penalty for the one month?

    Reply
    • Actually one of the penalty exemptions you can claim is due to the reason “being uninsured for less than 3 months of the year”. You don’t actually have to apply for this exemption and is handled via your tax return.

      You may also be able to claim a hardship exemption due to your Medicaid situation. You can apply for this by filling out an exemption application form (link to healthcare.gov)

      Reply
  10. Ok, I have a unique situation. I’ve been unemployed for about 18 months, with no luck of finding work. me and my boyfriend Live together and since I didn’t work all last year, he is able to claim me as a dependent. I’m not filing a return. Now, I keep seeing that if your health insurance is more than 8% of your income, your exempt. My boyfriend has insurance through his employer, and his policy alone is 11% of his annual income. Are we exempt from the penalty? The state we live, south carolina, didn’t utilize the medicaid expansion for ACA Either. Since our state didnt expand, ACA offered the lowest quote to me 212 a month. We can’t afford that every month. since he already pays 11% of his income just to his insurance alone, would he be held liable for the tax penalty since I’m still currently uninsured?

    Reply
    • You may be able to qualify for an exemption (see the last part of my article) due to your low income. If your income will be low enough that you won’t be required to file taxes (see thresholds in this article). you don’t need to apply for an exemption. This is true even if you file a return in order to get a refund of money withheld from your paycheck. You won’t have to pay the fee for not being covered.

      There is also a hardship exemption you may quality for – “You were determined ineligible for Medicaid because your state didn’t expand eligibility for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. . You can apply for this by filling out an exemption application form at healthcare.gov (see the comment above (from Genie) that has the link).

      Reply
      • My boyfriend has already filed his taxes and paid a penalty of almost $500 since I am not insured. I will not be filing taxes since I am unemployed and have no money.
        How can he get this money back? He should not have to pay a penalty just because he has provided me with shelter.

        Reply
    • Same problem here. My boyfriend had to pay a $500 penalty because I can’t afford insurance. Tennessee didn’t utilize the medicaid expansion either.
      This is all a bunch of bullcrap!

      Reply
  11. I switched jobs twice in 2014. For each job, I had a 30 day waiting period for coverage. Technically I was not insured for the month of September and December. This is not listed as any of the options for exemption. My question is: was I technically covered by Cobra? You can opt to use it within 60 days without having to pay the first premium. Theoretically, I was covered by it, meaning i could have used it in those months and paid the premium and been fine, but since I did not use it, I did not pay it. Does that count??

    Reply
    • I agree Margie. Our free country has turned into a NOT FREE country. They are just using this money to help with the countries debt. It is OUR choice to be insured!!! This makes me mad. My son couldn’t afford health insurance, they don’t take into acct our reg bills. But he is going to get fined for not having insurance because somehow he made enough. He lives with us because HE DOESNT MAKE ENOUGH TO LIVE ON HIS OWN> Where is that da#m box to check on tax form…. !#%!^@^$@&%

      Reply
      • No they are Not using the money for the country’s debt (it’s not being paid), they’re using it to pay the subsidies to people with higher income than You. Because some of you are dependants of tax payers, their tax/income is considered yours. They don’t care if your boyfriends already pay for insurance with his income, they consider all his income to be yours. Its double dipping, which our government is good at. They are the biggest frauds/scam artist of all.

        I had no income until I moved in with my husband (married July 2014). I have to pay a $500 fine for no insurance because his income is considered mine. I was not eligible for his employer insurance until we were married. I couldn’t buy it until we were married. But we didn’t know I could sign up right away and thought I had to wait til January. Now we see others get exemptions for no income for 12 full months, while others are exempt from a fee for 3 months. It seems I should be exempt for the 7 months of no income if others are, but nope… it’s all so disgusting.

        We can’t afford our own, but sure let’s pay a fine to pay others. How many people were hired to be paid by tax dollars to take our fees, and redistribute them? we are being robbed to create false job growth, false economy improvements, and give obama a false sense of achievement. Only the US government would Rob you blind and expect you to thank them. Obama and his groupies/ liberals are the worst kind of criminal.

        Reply
    • ya, you’re right!
      how about the govt FORCING me to have car insurance
      total BS right
      cause a car accident is definitely a lot likelier than getting sick

      Reply
    • i called for my form over 7 days and have not seen mine yet eaither the 1095. this obama care will kill the low income. not dought our financial future could be over. i agree this law going hurt many.

      Reply
  12. I have a health insurance thru my employer that covers my family and I. But my parents live with me and do not have health insurance. They don’t have any income, zero. If I claim them as dependent on my 2014 tax return, can I get the Health Coverage Exemption for them, or do I have to pay a penalty for not getting health coverage for them in 2014?

    Reply
    • No…unfortunately the individual mandate requires that all individuals are covered under a single or family plan. Their dependent status is for your tax return, not health insurance. But you may be able to get an exemption from the health insurance penalty if they can claim one of the following exemptions (from healthcare.gov). But you will need to show evidence for these in your return when claiming the exemption.

    • You’re uninsured for less than 3 months of the year
      The lowest-priced coverage available to you would cost more than 8% of your household income
      You don’t have to file a tax return because your income is too low (Learn about the filing limit (PDF))
      You’re a member of a federally recognized tribe or eligible for services through an Indian Health Services provider
      You’re a member of a recognized health care sharing ministry
      You’re a member of a recognized religious sect with religious objections to insurance, including Social Security and Medicare
      You’re incarcerated (either detained or jailed), and not being held pending disposition of charges
      You’re not lawfully present in the U.S.
      You qualify for a hardship exemption (homeless, evicted in the past 6 months, received a shut-off notice from a utility company, recently experienced domestic violence, recently experienced the death of a close family member, experienced natural or human-caused disaster that caused substantial damage to your property, filed for bankruptcy in the last 6 months, had medical expenses you couldn’t pay in the last 24 months that resulted in substantial debt, Experienced unexpected increases in necessary expenses due to caring for an ill, disabled, or aging family member etc)
    • Reply
  13. I had insurance at my place of employment on me and my husband up until Sept. 30, 2014. It was canceled due to the fact that i was unable to go back to work. I was under a doctors care and on short term disability. I got more insurance but we have not been able to get any on him. Will he be fined for this? We are trying to get him some by the end of this month.

    Reply
    • You may actually be able to avoid the penalty/fine. According to healthcare.gov, the official government site, you may qualify for an exemption from the penalty if you’re uninsured for less than 3 months of the year or the lowest-priced coverage available to you would cost more than 8% of your household income or you qualify for a hardship exemption

      Reply
  14. I have a question. If you pay a tax on something doesn’t that mean you are allowed to use it. Like public schools, police and fire, roadways? If this is true and you pay a 95 dollar tax doesn’t that mean you are now covered? I can see this being the next lawsuit over the ACA.

    Reply
  15. With all the exemptions etc being allowed due to all the delays, soon everyone will be exempt from Obamacare. Which will just become another overfunded and underused government program

    Reply
    • The exemption is not new. Those who didn’t make enough money to afford coverage or have religious objections were already exempt from the mandate. So if you really wanted to you could avoid obamacare quite easily. That’s why I don’t get all the fuss. People need to read more about the law rather than rely on media snippets to make their decisions.

      Reply
      • Oh, there is a full list of the 14 exemptions available at marketplace.cms.gov. You need to look for/fill in the form called – Application for Exemption from the Shared Responsibility
        Payment for Individuals who Experience Hardships – to claim the exemption. #13 is the one the latest exemption for cancelled policies. But here is a brief summary for all the exemptions currently available (you need to provide proof to claim the exemption in most cases)
        1. You were homeless.
        2 You were evicted in the past 6 months or were facing eviction or foreclosure
        3 You received a shut-off notice from a utility
        4 You recently experienced domestic violence.
        5 You recently experienced the death of a close family member.
        6 You experienced a fire, flood, or other natural human-caused disaster that caused substantial damage to your property.
        7 You filed for bankruptcy in the last 6 months.
        8 You had medical expenses you couldn’t pay in the last 24 months.
        9 You experienced unexpected increases in necessary expenses due to caring for an ill, disabled, or aging family member.
        10 You expect to claim a child as a tax dependent who’s been denied coverage in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and another person is required by court order to give medical support to the child.
        11 As a result of an eligibility appeals decision, you’re eligible either for: 1) enrollment in a qualified health plan (QHP) through the Marketplace, 2) lower costs on your monthly premiums, or 3) cost-sharing reductions for a time period when you weren’t enrolled in a QHP through the Marketplace.
        12 You were determined ineligible for Medicaid because your state didn’t expand eligibility for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
        13 You received a notice saying that your current health insurance plan is being cancelled, and you consider the other plans available unaffordable.
        14 You experienced another hardship in obtaining health insurance.

        Reply
  16. This is so F’ed up if you ask me. The reason why I do not have health insurance is because I can’t afford it even through my employer. When I checked what Obamacare would cost that also did me no good. So now I am damned if I do and damned if I don’t. This A-Hole is taking away liberties and choices one at a time and re-writing the constitution slowly but surely. Health Insurance does me absolutely no good right now and even if I could afford it I doubt I would get it. My primary care physician used to charge me a $50 co-pay with my old insurance plan and now it is only $40 WITHOUT insurance. My medications are fulfilled for FREE WITHOUT INSURANCE from my local grocery store. They used to charge 20 for a refill. Tell me why the hell would I want to just give away money like that for something I currently do not need? And yes I am aware of the risk of hospital visits and what not but thats a risk and a choice that I should have the right to take and I will no longer be given this choice thanks to Obamacare.

    Reply
    • Jeff, I completely agree! and that’s exactly what they want. full power and no liberty and justice for all! people are scared to open there mouths about this current situation . we’re being watched and every time we speak up we are being audited! just simply submitting my email leads them access to me personally. But we need to speak up people!!! lets turn all of the tiny drops into an entire ocean! we own this country! I feel our country is turning into the Hunger games.

      Reply
    • Jeff… I understand your predicament 100%. I am a recent college graduate that is paying for my own education. I had over $100,000 in student loan debt when I graduated and after a year I got a job making about $32,000 a year. I live in the highest taxed and most expensive state in the country and am still struggling financially. BUT, (and this is a big BUT) the one thing I have always made sure to include in my finances is HEALTH INSURANCE. The kicker of my story? I am thin, in shape, 28 years old and extremely healthy. I have not seen a doctor or spent $1 on healthcare in 5 years (either out of my pocket for a copay or from my insurance). I’ve been paying $3,000-$4,000 per year for a few years now for nothing in return. Please let me explain…

      I will not be the American that is a drain on the system that takes takes takes… I want to contribute and I don’t want anything from the government so I don’t ever have to tell my kids how I accepted a hand out. I work hard for everything I have and always will. Here is the problem…

      YOU! And people like you, Jeff. You think your doctor is only getting $40 for your visit, while he was previously getting your $50 co-pay plus insurance money (probably at least a couple hundred dollars)?! If you believe he is accepting $40 in full you are an absolute fool. You think your grocery store’s pharmacy is giving out free medications when you were paying $20 in co-pays per medication plus money from your insurance previously?! Once again… YOU ARE A FOOL! The fact of the matter is I AM PAYING FOR YOU to see your doctor and to get your medicine for free. They know you can’t pay; but, because you live in the greatest country in the world they are required to treat you and they, most likely, have a genuine desire to help you. But… they know you can’t pay; so they send the bill to the federal government. They get subsidized by the taxpayers every time you bum free care and medicine off them, meaning I AM PAYING for you to CHOOSE to not have to pay. Congratulations!! You sir are the biggest problem with the system.

      Now, let’s pretend the “risk” you so eloquently believe is worth taking by not getting health insurance occurs and you get sick/injured and require emergency medical care. Can you pay the $100k plus bill that may be levied down upon you? No you cannot. Not in 100 years. So how does the hospital get their money for your treatment? Do you think they chalk it up to charity? No. A hospital is a business. They will get their money from someone. And since you CHOOSE to not be an upstanding citizen, I along with my fellow taxpayers will pick up your tab! I no longer have any desire to pay for your laziness and stupidity and selfishness so I am quite content that you will be forced to obtain health insurance and finally be forced to be responsible for yourself!!! I have no remorse for the penalty you will have to pay if you do not come to your senses and become a responsible member of society as the President is making you become.

      Thank you President Obama for straightening out fools like Jeff….

      Reply
      • Dan is apparently an Obama-lover and a fool for buying into this obamacare crap–the president is a pompous idiot and has no roght forcing Americans into buying expensive health insurance..the reason most don’t have is because they can’t afoord, even if they do work, like me. Many of us also pay out ridiculous amounts of child support making it impossible even when working full-time..so i don’t need some 28 year old punk know-it-all telling me what to do any more than we need a totalitarian fool of a president unjustly forcing American people against their will. Ridiculous.

        Reply
        • “…no roght forcing Americans into buying expensive health insurance..the reason most don’t have is because they can’t afoord…”

          or they can’t spell?

      • My doctor refused to see me since I had lost my job and therefore my insurance.
        So you are not paying jack for me!

        Reply
      • Jerks like you are the reason this crook Obama is getting away with stealing from Americans who don’t choose to fall into this Obamacare ripoff. Thanks a lot socialist prick.

        Reply
      • Congratulations Dan for being a career student and for graduating at the ripe old age of 28, a bit slow aren’t we?? And then you found work AFTER a year, no rush right?? And now you’re raking in the money at 32k a year and the world is on your shoulders right??

        You have ZERO credibility, nice try though. Obama preys on gullible fools like yourself !!!

        Reply
      • Dan,

        No one owes society anything because society picks up the tab for non payers. That’s society’s problem. Society has a choice, that choice, to pay or not to pay for the care of someone who chooses not to buy insurance, does not obligate that person to anything. If you don’t want to pay for their care, then don’t pay for it.

        Using your logic I could pay for your student loans, but as a consequence of my choice, not yours, you must work for my company for the rest of your life, at a rate of pay of my choice.

        Charity carries no obligation for repayment. Freedom requires it.

        Reply
    • What Grocery Store? I am in the same boat. No insurance, go to the local urgent care…its $110 w/o insurance for a regular visit and $175 with a more detailed procedure list. But, I have to pay for the scripts. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Dan- Respectfully disagree. The entire system is the problem. MEDICINE should NOT be for profit, but should be done for the goodness of humanity. End of story. If you are going o be a doctor to be rich, don’t be one. I believe they should be adequately compensated for their risk, their training, and extreme work conditions, but getting rich shouldn’t be WHY someone becomes a doctor. Another big problem is the lack of standardization of pricing. While I understand there are some problems with this as well…There are literally dozens of urgent care clinics within 20 minutes of my home. Some have charged me in excess of $500 a visit…while others “cash” price is between $100-$175 for services rendered. And I asked them how they can be so cheap…the reason? THEY DON’T HAVE TO PAY A PERSON TO ARGUE WITH INSURANCE FOR DAYS TO GET PAYMENT FOR EACH PATIENT. The cost savings is so much greater with paying out of pocket, they can charge cash customers at a cheaper rate. Need more proof? A close family member used to work for a small doctor office (single practitioner) her job was to fight the insurance to cover BASIC treatment. All day, for over five years. Fight the insurance. Hmmm…INSURANCE COMPANIES DICTATING WHO GETS LIFE SAVING TREATMENTS ARE THE PROBLEM.

        Reply
    • Is it a Risk and a choice you are WILLING to take?
      So if you need to go to the hospital you will instead refuse care, go home and die?
      What is likelier to happen is you will go to the hospital, get care, then get saddled with bills in tens of thousands of dollars, and refuse to pay because you cannot
      And everyone will end up paying.
      Or you can formalize that process. The preimums you pay won’t cover any urgent care either but since everyone’s forced to have insurance now, it will be covered by much higher earners than you.
      I also don’t buy your argument about non-urgent care but let’s leave it at that…
      BTW the fact you are getting your refills FOR FREE is because another SOCIALIST legislation made that possible and there were people just like you at the time yelling they have money taken out of their paycheck to help people who have no income. They were saying at the time, they don’t need to be forced to pay for something they don’t need, and if they got sick, they won’t get medication anyway…

      Food for thought….

      Reply
  17. It’s not the government that put us here, it’s the fool people that voted all the power hungry, liberal, progressive, socialists and community organizers into office that put us here. Just listen to the media and they will tell you how good those people are….. I’m just a step away from having to go live in the forest. I can’t afford the catastrophic plan I have now. I don’t have any idea how I would pay for the exchanges plans at 4 times what I’m paying now. This was a reply to someone back in July but I thought it would be seen by more this way.

    Reply
    • Yeah, next time I’m voting for the power hungry conservative, regressive capitalists and lobbyists. THEN we’ll see some change!

      Reply
      • If Obamacare is the best thing since chocolate milk, why did Congress EXEMPT themselves from it? Because it’s NOT, that’s why !!!

        Reply
        • Two years and still passing on falsehoods about entitlement. If you make $30 to $40 thousand a year and you are either self-employed or do not have an employer subsidized plan than either pay the penalty for no insurance or pay the ‘Insurance’ costs. Are you also so embittered by your vehicle insurance and home or renter insurance costs? I will be the first to admit that Obacare has much about it that needs improvement. My suggestion is vote for Clinton in 2016, she was a main player in the attempt back in the 1990s to get our country in line with the rest of the developed world with universal health care.

          From an October 2013 web page

          ‘So many people have said Congress is exempt from Obamacare that in September 2013, PolitiFact National made the claim, rated False, one of its top 16 myths about the health care law.

          For many years, members of Congress chose from a variety of insurance plans offered by the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, which serves 8 million federal and retired workers and their dependents.

          So, members of Congress were like most Americans, covered through their employer with the employer picking up most of the tab.

          That will end in January 2014, when lawmakers and some of their staff will be required under the health care law to pick from plans in the health care law’s new marketplaces. They are the only Americans facing this requirement, although Uncle Sam will still continue to pick up most of the cost.

          (Factcheck.org and The Washington Post Fact Checker have also debunked the Congress-is-exempt claim.)

          The requirement for Congress became part of the law after Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in 2009 offered an amendment that required lawmakers to get their health care through the marketplaces. A version of the amendment was adopted.

          Obama and members of his administration and their families will continue to get their health insurance through the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program. But it’s not “their own” plan, . . . it’s the same plan that covers millions of other federal employees.

          In other words, they will be like most Americans who get their health insurance through an employer — nothing will change. In fact, despite (a) . . . reference to “the rest of America” joining Congress in the marketplace, the vast majority of Americans will continue to be covered through employers, not purchasing insurance from the marketplaces.

          Rather than being “gold-plated,” the federal health insurance is roughly comparable to what members of Congress will be able to buy in the marketplaces, according to three health care reform experts we consulted: Timothy Jost, law professor at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va.; professor Sabrina Corlette of Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms; and Michael Tanner, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

          “It’s a good plan,” Tanner said of the federal health insurance, “but it’s roughly the equivalent” of choices available in the marketplaces.

          Plans available in the marketplace range from “bronze,” which has the lowest premiums and pays 60 percent of the total medical costs of everyone in the plan, to “platinum,” which has the highest premiums and pays 90 percent. (A fifth category, “catastrophic,” is available to people under 30 years old and to some people with very low incomes.)

          Members of Congress, however, are required under the health care law to choose from among 112 “gold-level” plans, which pay 80 percent of the total costs. By way of comparison, the most common plan chosen in the program offered to all other federal employees is a Blue Cross plan, which pays closer to 90 percent.’

  18. I am an American and I resemble that remark.

    Got a piece of land to grow my own. So, whoever you are, come on by for a (slightly chewed upon) chicken leg.

    I will leave a tendon or two for you.

    Reply
  19. Let’s be real…. The American people are not going to conform to this B.S. People will stop reporting to the IRS. I have not heard a single good thing about this law. Has anyone???… Some people will be better off living in poverty or on welfare for the rest of their lives. Milk the the system.. Submit and conform. People are going to literally die because of Obama’s radical “Bright Idea”. What are the consequences for not paying the penalties? Jail time? Obama’s a joke and so are his long term pipe dreams. This country is going to be economically crippled, and He’s doing a great job of ruining our country and it’s ideals…. He has been a great illusionist from the start and there are many suckers to be had. This is just the beginning to the end of our freedom… Be prepared, for the worst is yet to come of this…

    Reply
  20. Well, it would be nice that voting solves our problems. But, when I think about it, the vote is ALWAYS a vote between a stinker and waste-pile. Think about Obama versus Romney. WOW. Neither touched a single issue that matters. It turns out that Mr Slick, Obama (I voted for the guy, shame on me) was worse than anyone from Chicago warned me about (one of my pals said, “Look out, Chicago Politics are something America is not ready for!!!!).

    The big fib here is that we were told, over and over, that we could keep our plans. I was dumped by letter from Anthem Blue cross…..the new plan is WAY more expensive, my deductible increased, and the bene’s added, such as Maternity care, are ADDED as a cost to my group. The old plan was based upon the group to which I belong: early retired and Broke. Well, not broke, but afraid of that notion.

    Reply
  21. Hey folks, start the fight for our country and ideals now. VOTE for your rights, throw out those not fighting for our rights. Like Senator Cornyn of Texas, he didn’t stand with Senator Cruz to fight for us and was ready to capitulate. His political ad on radio makes me sick. He is out as far as This Mex is concerned. VOTE in those who will not apologize, socialize, mandate or dictate. I could go on with my disillusioned outlook on our government, but our only weapon is the vote. No one in this administration is or will be held accountable for abuse or lack of dedication to their duties. Only those invited to the Whitehouse for a beer. Ladies, beware the rock star’s and those ladies who will not be held accountable wanting or posturing for the presidents seat. Pick your candidate, hopefully one for God and our Nation as the founding fathers designed it.

    Reply
    • Looks like the “gap” you refer to is defined as, only if you “are between jobs and without insurance for up to three months.”

      Reply
  22. The poor people making more than $200,000 a year better look out! Did anyone read the whole page before commenting that the penalty is unfair? There was a recent study that indicated people who make $180,000 or more a year have ‘more than enough money’ to cover their costs.

    Reply
    • I got hit for $750.00 last year on my 60k income and wife’s 20k income, we were taxed based on the full 80k even though she has insurance through her job. I’m retired and living off my pension and now social security. This will DOUBLE next year to $1,500.00 dollars. Thanks Obama !!!

      Reply
  23. No ones talking about big companies cutting hours to avoid paying healthcare for their employees. Like in restaurants, i.e. darden who plan to cut employee hours below 30 a week. Now you have all these people looking for other jobs to combat the loss of money. So when you go to get extra employment there is about a hundred people in front of you with applications for the same position. This in turn will make unemployment go up, poverty go up, and crime rise to an astronomical high. Welcome to the new America. Hope you didn’t vote against people having guns, you’ll need to protect urself against all the home invasions, and store robberies that are going to take place just to afford going to the doctors. Shoot there might even be take overs at the doctors offices just to get a check up….lol. Doctors being held hostage at gun point to check your ears and throat.

    Reply
    • You’re misdirecting the blame….. You’re blaming the employer for cutting hours because they can’t afford the cost of insuring their employees, when you should be blaming Obama for putting them in the position he did that forced them to cut hours. Liberals don’t care that Americans are suffering, as long as they get their socialist ideals out there that’s all that matters. Remember what Obama said, “Elections have consequences”, now you know whose side he’s on, not the American workers.

      Reply
  24. Some employers/insurance companies have creatively bypassed Obamacare laws by ‘repackaging’ their coverage into a different name. I’m retired from a major American corporation (but too young for Medicare), and carry employer-paid health insurance with one of the largest insurers. I have been advised by both the federal & state insurance regulatory agencies that my retiree’s insurance is exempt from all Obamacare laws. While I can live with that (it’s an excellent policy), my concern is that if it’s not regulated under Obamacare, then will it be considered ‘approved’ coverage when it comes time to report coverage to the IRS?
    I’ve worked hard all my life (usually holding more than one job at a time), and have donated countless of hours to my community and church… I never would have thought that losing what I’ve worked for, ending up in a home, and then being denied health care via Obamacare rules (so I can die and not be a financial burden to the government) could become a reality.
    Welcome to the New America.

    Reply
    • It seems to me the way to fix the health care problem needs to start with the health care providers. Hospitals over charge for care,meds.,procedures and anything else they can squeeze a dollar out of the American people for.Pharmaceutical companies are getting rich off the injured, sick,or dying. And they both get away with it by giving large campaign contributions to the crooks we put into office. Let’s face it,big government is big business! Let’s vote in a business man instead of a politician for a change. And let’s make sure he or her has been very successful so that they are already wealthy and will not be easily corrupted by the rich lobbies that really run Washington. If you think about it, if your already rich and powerful ,and you still want to get into politics then it must be for patriotism and a true interest in making a difference in the future of this great country. After all,even with all the problems and issues we so passionately complain about,we still live in the greatest country in the world.

      Reply
  25. It’s the government that put us into this situation. They allow poisons into our environment such as processed foods, deadly chemicals, contaminated drinking water, etc. – poisons that they know very well will incapacitate and/or kill people. And don’t tell me that it’s my responsibility if I get sick under those circumstances. They purposely make our citizens ill, half the time as experiments, and then allow greedy selfish corporations to give people poisonous, expensive “medications” which they then become unable to function or live without. And then they actually expect that the sick must somehow break their backs to afford it- like getting blood from stones. Hospitals and doctors overcharge ridiculously and the fact is we’re now being forced to pay them, instead of them being forced to lower their rates, and push healthier lifestyles and holistic healing instead of being drug dealers. I’m sorry to say that our government is either a joke or a horrible monster. They see citizens as expendable slaves with no value besides populating the workforce to generate money. They take hundreds of dollars out of my and everybody else’s paychecks every month and then totally waste what they don’t line their own pockets with. People make politics seem so complicated, and that’s exactly what the government wants- to keep confusion in the mix in order to cover up their horrible truth.

    Reply
  26. Note: Household income under Obamacare is different to your adjusted gross income (AGI) or modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). Household income includes the modified adjusted gross income of your tax filing dependents (children, spouse) as well.

    Reply
  27. Well, let’s see just how Obamacare has effected monthly premiums….at my daughters office premiums per employee went from $545 per employee to $905 per month. And that is just this years rate increase. No change in plan. If anyone thinks that all of these “not cost” services are not costing us anything, they are as delusional as the idiots that passed it. Someone has to pay, and do you really think that businesses are willing or even able to absorb these increases? NO! And just wait until the insurance mandate goes into effect and the employees of a small business (under 50 employees) have to either purchase their own insurance or pay the penalty of as much as $2065 for a family. They are now hurting the same people they supposedly are wanting to help.

    Are these employees going to magically find that extra money in their paycheck? They might if Obama has his way, he wants minimum wage to go up. For every dollar paid out in increased wages doesn’t just cost the employer a dollar, it cost about $1.17 (an estimate depending on your state). Let’s break it down. The employer has to pay the employer portion of social security, insurance premiums based on total wages, and yes taxes based on employee wages (in our case occupational and business taxes). All of this has to be passed on to who? You got it, to the people that just got the raise, but now they actually have to cover the wage increase and the additional cost as well by paying more for goods and services. So what on the surface looks like an increase actually decreases their spending power by about .17 for every extra dollar earned. Sometimes I wonder, have these brilliant people in Washington ever put a pencil to paper to see their effects on the economy. I don’t think so.

    People, dig deep, look into what these elected officials are doing. You don’t have to take my word for it, just talk to any small business owner. They will tell you what all of this will cost and who is going to pay for it.

    Reply
    • When the minimum wage has doubled, everyone else’s wage will have to go up as well. When that happens services and products will also go up and Obama can justify the devaluation of the dollar. I haven’t been able to see it any other way.

      Add the damaging expense of AHA to that (I’m sure that will go up, as well) and you have a catastrophe. Of course, our ability to borrow more money will not be there, so we wind up where POTUS wanted us at the start – as the poorest country on the face of the Earth.

      Reply
  28. I am still not clear. I cannot afford my companies insurance, so I pay privately out of my own pocket. I make less than $37,000 a year and pay for all my own meds, etc. This last year I figured that I pay over 7.5% of my income towards my healthcare needs. Luckily, my son, who I adopted, has Medicaid until he is 18, or 21 if he is college. So what does this mean for me??? Will I still have a penalty for this?? A friend of my said a tax guy told her that if you don’t carry “major medical” you could be penalized up to $2,900 or more!!! Is this the truth?!?!? I am so confused. I am also worried because it’s bad enough my income tax returns are rapidly going down hill and I REALLY can’t afford to lose anymore money. I don’t know why they call this “affordable healthcare” because I am not seeing any of it!!!

    Reply
  29. Does anyone know what the penalty would be if I don’t add my husband (homemaker/ not employed) to my employer sponsored insurance plan? I have our children covered but to add him to the policy would cost an estimated $220.00/mo. He is very healthy and we are willing to pay medical bills if something drastic happens but the added expense to add him is more than our budget can allow. He is a SAH dad with no unemployment benefits.
    Would it be worth looking into an exchange in the fall with a high ded and high coins plan or would they require him to be signed up under my private insurance.
    This all is very confusing and irritating that our liberties are being slowly drained away. I have tried to research as much as I can online for the exchange program but there is very little info until fall.

    Reply
  30. Why not make the illegals and the welfare bums of this country pay for the Obamacare ? They are the only ones with money in this country since they are the ones that put us in the mess. God, I am glad my parents and grandparents aren’t alive to see this screwed us mess we are in.

    Reply
    • The illegals are what keeps this country running. Learn ur facts first hunny. And ur grandparents who aren’t alive to see this, too bad I wish they could. A black president and kids of every race able to get the medicare they need. I would love to shove that in front of ther republican stuck up racist faces.

      Reply
      • @Jessica, How and where did you ever see the word racist in Michelle’s comment? She did not imply racism toward our president nor towards any political party. We are all sick and tired of the freeloaders in this country!! Jessica…YOU must be an illegal, a welfare bum or just a flat out racist!!!!!!!!! Do you realize how stupid your comment sounds? Please think about what you are about to say and you won’t seem so uneducated. But then again, you are what is wrong with this country and I did not expect anything different from someone like you. And yes, my parents and grandparents worked hard to get everything and expected no hand outs from anyone, especially the government. If they couldn’t afford it, they didn’t get it, including health care. I did not have health care growing up because we didn’t go to the emergency with earaches, scraped knees, etc. But maybe your parents and grandparents weren’t like mine. Maybe you are just another “product” of your upbringing…welfare handed down generation after generation…LAZY BUMS!! Now does that make me a racist? Wait before you answer, I know what your answer is…it is always the same answer. Everyone is a racist who says anything about our president right? WRONG AGAIN. What label would you put on someone who has said anything about past presidents…NONE of them were black? Really? Stupid Idiot, get a job and stop mooching off of the hard working Americans who actually care about our country and the destructive path it is headed.

        Reply
        • @ Skeeter – I so agree with you on this one. I am so tired of hearing the racist card being used. Now-A-Days the descrimination is against those individuals that are “white”. I was a single mom going to college with three kids and working FT with a 3.9 GPA and could not qualify for a scholarship because I only qualified for ones where an individual had to be “black” to qualify. I have student loans out the wazoo because I went after my AS, BA and MA degrees. Yes people I worked FT while going to school FT while being a single mom with 3 kids. Been with the same company for 15 years now… I believe that those individuals that are “living off the system” need to do community service in order to qualify for benefits. They also need to prove that they are looking for work. I remember barely being able to buy food for my kids because I supposedely made too much at $12.86 per hour to qualify for food stamps. Going to the grocery store was so depressing because I had mac and cheese and hotdogs in my cart while those individuals that were checking out in front of me with food stamps were chowing down on steaks and potatoes and pork chops, decked out with a ton of gold around their neck….going out to their “pimping” vehicles….GO FIGURE!!!!! I agree with Michelle and she was not discriminatory against a certain race just on the WELFARE BUMS of society that cant keep their legs crossed and make tons of babies that they cannot afford just to continue to live off the system…I believe those individuals that voted for a President, just because of the color of his skin, are the ones that are truly racist. I know I voted for the best person to handle the situation that we “as a country” are in. Geesh I dont see Clinton Care or Bush Care out there. And to tell those individuals that make over $200,000 (I believe) that they have to pay health care taxes for those individuals that are “low income” is also rediculous. If they are making that kinda money then they worked for it and are probably educated. Lets focus instead on educating people so that they do not sound as rediculous as Jessica sounded.

        • Oh and FYI – I make $50,000 a year and my husband makes over $50,000 a year and he has medical thru the VA and thru work and I have medical for me and my kids thru work.

      • Jessica, “hunny”, I don’t know what country you are in, but in this country, illegals are taking jobs AWAY from Americans, they are NOT what is keeping the country running. They are a drain on state’s economies, just look at California and Arizona. And you are saying that just Obama’s black half is president and his white half isn’t? (He was raised by his white mother and white grandmother you know…) Do you know for sure, 100%, that no other president on our history didn’t have any negro blood in them??? Or native American blood in them?? YOU’RE the racist! Get real sweetheart. What are you…like 12?

        Reply
      • Illegals who send most of there earnings to other countries instead of putting it back into the economy. Not to mention taking jobs from real Americans who aren’t here to exploit the ignorance of the Liberal Democrats running this country. And your actually proud that all these people of all races are being provided with Medicare, that by the way the working people in this country are paying for.Its people like you that have this country in the fix its in,so far in debt that our government is selling our landmarks and national treasures to bail itself out of debt.And your proud of the fact that millions of people voted for a president because of the color of his skin instead of the basis of his policies. Wow you truly are the worst kind of American and should be promptly deported to one of these third world countries that YOUR President keeps sending our hard earned money to.

        Reply
  31. I draw disability and do not get Medicare for 24 months nor do I qualify Medicaid . Nor can I afford regular insurance because my check is so small. I can NOT believe that the government is forcing us to buy something we can’t afford and at the same penalize us by not allowing us to get medicare. So at this point due I buy insurance and not pay for meds and rent or what……..THIS IS SO UNFAIR to the American people. Let the senators, congress, etc suffer the indignities that are imposing.

    Reply
  32. In all my years, 56 to be exact, I have never seen such a scam pulled by the Government as this new tax being shoved down our throats. This is called “healthcare???” Where is the care here? Just watch what happens. All the government is trying to do is create more welfare states. Nobody can afford these ridiculous, over-inflated hospital and medical fees. The only ones who will profit are the hospitals and pill-pushing, pharmaceutical companies. It’s just business as usual and the bottom line is…money. It will all eventually implode. Wake up people!

    Reply
    • Your best solution is to NOT buy insurance and pay the penalty tax, which is more reasonable than you think. Next, practice disease prevention, which is easier than you think. Immediately cut out sugar and simple carbohydrate foods that convert to sugar in your body. What few people realize is that sugar is the main culprit in arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Also, look up which foods are acidic and which ones are alkaline — make sure you eat small amounts of acidic foods and larger amounts of alkaline foods. That’s because disease, and especially cancer, loves an acidic body pH. Next, avoid packaged foods and eat like a cave man — meats, fish, nuts, and fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic. Next, never eat anything that has partially hydrogenated oil in it. Avoid all vegetable oils except Cocunut and Olive Oil. Finally, take Lugol’s 2% iodine drops daily, which will prevent cancer and thyroid disorders. Few Americans understand that the American food industry is creating a steady stream of sick people for the medical industry to treat. America is the sickest civilized nation on earth. And then, once you go to the doctor — unless you’re seeing a holistic doctor, or at least one practicing integrative medicine (the best of holistic and conventional) — you will be prescribed drugs for your ailment and there will be no attempt to address the underlying cause of your disease. Doctors in medical school learn only how to diagnose diaseases and then prescribe drugs to treat those diseases; they learn nothing about good nutrition and disease prevention. And the drugs often make things worse. Wake up, people!!! The AMA can’t solve your problems, and neither can the U.S. government.

      Reply
  33. I’ve read these comments and I agree that Obamacare will collapse for the reasons stated, its cheaper to pay the tax than buy insurance. For example, if you have someone who doesn’t access health care much, they would be better off to pay the tax and pocket the savings for the few times they do need healthcare. Basic care should be the responsibility of everyone to pay without insurance. People could then purchase catastrophic insurance for those very serious illnesses that don’t affect most of us. Thats what we should be focusing on and paying insurance for. This would, then, be similar to medicare. You pay into it over a lifetime but don’t collect anything until you reach a trigger point (age). Under catastrophic care, you pay into it over a lifetime but don’t collect until you reach a trigger point (serious sustained illness). Its too costly to do it any other way.

    Reply
    • I personally don’t think Obamacare will collapse anytime soon, particularly after his re-election and focus on the fiscal cliff over the the next 6 months. I also think it is a step in the right direction towards realistic and sustainable health care reform. The problem with insurance is that no one is going to sell it to you after you discover the serious illness, and most people are going to think “I will never get cancer, say” and once they do it will be too late to get insurance. So forcing or compelling people to buy it is probably the only way to get universal basic coverage.

      Reply
      • But Andy – Doesn’t Obamacare also prevent insurers from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions? Doesn’t that mean I could theoretically sign up for insurance in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, and they’d have to take me? And doesn’t that just about guarantee the collapse booley bob mentioned? I mean, even at the max, the penalty is still less than half of purchasing insurance.

        Reply
  34. Interesting to read the original analysis and all the comments. But here’s what few seem to understand: Our existing sysem before the reform was seriously flawed. We spent more on healthcare and got worse results than any other civilized nation in the world, in spite of the propaganda that we have the best system in the world. Now, is ObamaCare a good solution? No, it is not. It’s impossible to overhaul 17% of the economy and not have it be a mess with unintended consequences. And certainly, many people will choose to pay the penalty rather than buy insurance. If that leads to the collapse of the system so that a single payer system must be adopted, then maybe that is the best result. Certainly our old system was unsustainable, making insurance unaffordable for everyone but the upper middle class and rich. The real solution is for people to take responsibility for the health and not not smoke and eat bad foods that lead to arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. It would also help to get diabetes, heart-disease and cancer causing ingredients out of food, as well as toxins in the air, water, and consumer products. But these things will never happen. So, having the system collapse and going to single payer just might be the best result, with one exception: the single payer system would provide just the basics, and then the upper middle class and rich would buy Cadillac supplement plans. Gotta have something for the rich beside Tiffany’s. But, as you can see by my comments, there is no such thing as a perfect system, just as there is no perfect world. But consider that Chief Justice Roberts made the individual mandate a tax, which means ObamaCare can be repealed with 51 votes in the Senate via “budget reconciliation.” So, it’s quite likely that Obamacare will be swept away in January of 2013. Then, we’ll go back to a system that is guaranteed to be unsustainable. And if ObamaCare survives, then we will have to improve it, or go to single payer. Whatever happens your best choice is to learn what causes disease and avoid it. And also learn that American food manufacturers, industrial polluters, AMA doctors, and insurance companies do not have your best health interests in mind.

    Reply
  35. In plain english, the individual mandate requires every living American to purchase health insurance for themselves, and any dependants. (Excluding illegal aliens, indian tribes, people in prison and special people given exemptions).

    In order to enforce this mandate, the law calls for penalties to be assessed under the context of your income tax filings if you do not have coverage for more than 4 consecutive months.

    How the fine amount is calculated is slightly harder to explain than quantum string theory, and will likely require that you hire someone to figure it out for you. I can say, however, that the fines are almost certainly going to be miniscule in comparison to the cost of an insurance plan.

    And that, ladies and gentleman, is the dirty secret of Obamacare. The individual mandate is not designed to make people responsible and buy insurance. It is designed to destroy the private insurance industry almost totally and in the space of just a few years.

    Senator Ron Johnson has been accurately describing the expected outcomes of Obamacare where employer funded coverage is concerned. Long story short, it will soon cease to exist because employers will soon discover it is a lot cheaper to pay the fine for not offering coverage to employees than it is to pay their share of the premiums. More than $12,000 cheaper on average, assuming premiums do not continue to go up.

    What Sen. Johnson has not yet explored is what will happen when individuals face the same decision employers do. Specifically, what will people do when they figure out that they can pay a minimal fine and avoid paying a huge premium for insurance.

    “Wait!”, you say, ”People will not do that because they will be afraid they will get sick and not have insurance! They will HAVE to buy it!”

    Ummm….wrong. Well, eventually anyway. See, Obamacare requires that anyone requesting insurance coverage be allowed to buy it, with all pre-existing conditions covered fully, at no increased premium costs. In fact, denial of coverage is all but impossible.

    So pretty soon people will figure out how to game this system.

    Lets say you are a family of 4 and make the median income of about $50,000 per year. Your employer just dropped coverage and now you are under the individual mandate. A family plan will cost about $20,000 per year (at the current rate of premium increases), and you are told you ar eligible for subsidies from the taxpayers to cover some of that cost.

    That subsidy works out to probably about $10,000. This means you will still need to pay $10,000 for insurance, or $833 per month.

    Read that again. You make $50,000 and will have to pay $833 per month for insurance. That family probably pays less than that for housing. That is a HUGE amount. (20% of their gross)

    It gets worse. That $833 per month comes out of AFTER TAX income. When you have an employer sponsored plan like most do now, your contribution to premiums comes out of pre tax income and reduces your tax liability.

    Not under this policy, though. That $833 comes out of the net. After Social Security, Medicare and Income Taxes are taken out. It comes out of take home pay.

    For our example family, that $833 per month comes out of their take home pay of roughly $40,000. That works out to be about 25% of their take home pay every month for insurance.

    Wow.

    So what is a reasonable person going to conclude:

    1) Insurance costs $833 per month, and the fine is a one time charge of about $400. – The fine is a lot less expensive than insurance.

    2) I can pay for most of my families “regular” medical care (prescriptions, office visits, etc.) for less than the $10,000 insurance costs. – Buying insurance doesn’t make financial sense.

    3) If someone in our family gets sick or has an accident, I can call the insurance company on the way to the hospital and get insurance, and they can’t make me pay more for it or say no to any care after I sign up. – There is almost no risk from not having insurance.

    4) I can drop insurance as soon as the big bills are paid, and do #3 as many times as I need to, and they can’t stop me from getting covered. – There is actually NO risk for not having insurance.

    So people will quickly learn how to scam the system, pay a little fine, and only get insurance when they have big bills to pay.

    In the insurance industry this is called “adverse selection”, which means that only people using a lot of insurance buy insurance, meaning there is never enough premium money to cover the claims costs.

    Insurance, as it exists today, relies on many people paying premium and a relative few using it at any one time, making it possible to pay the claims and not go broke in the process. (Sound a lot like socialism to you? Yeah, me too.)

    Obamacare destroys this model and results in only people using insurance paying premiums, and then not paying enough to cover their own claims, much less help pay for anyone else’s.

    When this happens, there can only be one outcome. Insurance companies will either go bankrupt and cease to exist, or require massive bailouts from the government to remain in business.

    Bailouts are never going to happen. It would be way too expensive, and the US is already too far in debt to be able to do it anyway.

    That means insurance companies go broke, and “insurance” becomes harder and hard to buy for those that want to.

    Who do you think will ride to the rescue when this happens? Well, your knight in shining armor of course.

    The Federal government will arrive to “save the day” with a single payer, government run, Canada style system. They will tell the public “Private insurance has failed the people of America, and proven it cannot work. Only a government run system can provide the care the American people need.”

    All of this is by design of course. You have to believe that Democrats and Obama are supremely stupid to think they didn’t know this was a plan designed to fail. They WANT it to fail. They NEED it to fail.

    Failure finally makes a single payer government run system popular and lets them finally take control over the people they way they want to. Control “health care” and you have control of almost every aspect of people’s lives. This is what they want. Power and control by the “intelligent elite” over the “unwashed masses”.

    Reply
    • Perfectly said and very accurate from what my accountant tells me. if someone can’t see the importance of getting out on the streets for this election and exposing all of this, they deserve to be consumed by the socialist party that is behind this, i.e. the progressive movement.

      The tragedy for our country is that most people who are all for Obama could not tell you the difference between a free enterprise system or a marxist state, and certainly not socialism and capitalism. They rant because a hand full of people raked in a bunch of money illegally and got away with it, without fully understanding what the cause for this was.

      They have decided (because someone else got them mad enough to do it) to throw the baby out with the dirty bathwater, i.e. toss out free enterprise and capitalism for something that – in their mind – seems right to them, i.e. government growing big enough to ‘protect them’ from the money mongers they have been told are controlling their future and the cause for the present problems.

      They are clueless where the problem even stems from, clueless about the world bank’s involvement, the manipulation of currencies by the world bank, and the mandates on the US to bail out every failed socialist country or third world country that mismanages their finances and leaves their people starving. They seem only to be concerned with seeing that someone gives them something for nothing, and hold out that the government will keep them all safe and cozy and happy even if they don’t work.

      I digress.

      This is a battle of ideologies and nothing more. A pre-war skirmish for a totalitarian rule devoid of a government that is operated under Constitutional law and a Bill of Rights that protect the rights of its citizens.

      Reply
    • We have plenty of ‘middle-class’ relatives in Canada – guess what, they are relatively much happier than the complaining lot here – and none of those relatives are starving or in financial distress.

      Reply
    • Cathy -Brilliant love it(your comment) Also another way to beat the system is taking advantage of the rules that are in place, that enables a health care uninsured-to waiver the penalty for not having health care coverarage, thus being exempt from the penalty. For example,one has only to stop paying their health premiums in the plan that they’re in,-say the 2nd month of coverage-just stop paying your premium,-whereupon the provider will drop them from that health plan. Being dropped from health coverage,enable you to waiver the tax penalty for not having health coverage. In as much as if you are dropped from one health plan,you can’t necessarily join another health plan except during open season,usually in Novemmber or December.

      Reply
  36. Can someone, anyone, point me to a table that will show what this will cost us? My wife and I are retired, 59 and 58 years old, and are not sure what our income will be in the coming years. I have p0ked around the internet for over a year and STILL I cannot find the costs to childless couples over 55 years old. This would be a great favor to me.

    Thanks,
    DJ

    Reply
  37. But what if I live overseas (stil an American citizen) and don’t use American health insurance? Am I liable to pay for health care?

    Reply
    • If you meet the criteria to file a US tax return, you will have to show proof of health insurance from overseas. Note however that the IRS is still working through the regulations of this provision and will issue more guidance. I imagine for foreign residents there will be additional exceptions. I will update this article when I get more information on this. Great question.

      Reply
    • Recent update to article – US citizens or residents who reside overseas and meet the IRS foreign residency criteria (generally 330 full days outside of the U.S. during a 12-month period) can also claim exemption from the individual mandate penalty via Form 8965. If living overseas for a partial period of time that does not qualify you as a foreign resident for tax purposes coverage provided by your local employer (under an expatriate health plan) can count as qualified health coverage that precludes them from the penalty. One exemption that may be particularly relevant to U.S. citizens living abroad for a small part of a year is the exemption for a short coverage gap. This exemption provides that no shared responsibility payment will be due for a once-per-year gap in coverage that lasts less than three months.

      Reply
  38. Andy – Just wanted to add some more points to your article from Factcheck.org

    – From 2017, the minimum tax per person will rise each year with inflation. And for children 18 and under, the minimum per-person tax is half of that for adults.

    The minimum amount per family is capped at triple the per-person tax, no matter how many individuals are in the taxpayer’s household. So, for example, a couple with one child over 18 (or two children age 18 or under), and no coverage, would pay a minimum of $285 in 2014, $975 in 2015 and $2,085 in 2016. And that would be the minimum no matter how many uninsured dependents a taxpayer has.

    The tax would be more for persons with higher taxable incomes. When phased in, it will be 2.5 percent of household income that exceeds the income threshold for filing a tax return. For 2011, those thresholds were $9,500 for a single person under age 65, and $19,000 for a married person filing jointly with a spouse. So, to give a rough calculation, a couple with $100,000 of income might pay a tax of $2,025 if they choose to go without coverage.

    A tax is assessed for each month that a person is not covered. It is pro-rated, so that a person who is not covered for only a single month would pay 1/12th of the tax that would be due for the full year. So, for example, the minimum tax per person for failing to get coverage would be $7.92 for each month of 2014, $28.75 for each month of 2015, and $57.92 for each month of 2016, when fully phased in.

    Reply
  39. Yes, Mark would rather we penalize people who pay for health insurance by forcing them to take the brunt of the cost involved in taking care of those people without insurance. Funny conservative paradox… only it was NOT a paradox for Romney when he had a similar plan when he was state governor. Perfect example of a party following a marketing strategy instead of their true ideals.

    Reply
  40. Why are people complaining so much. Its about time we started the ball rolling on health care reform. The law may not be prefect, but it is a start towards controlling the spiralling costs of health care in this country.

    Reply
    • Choose not to have health insurance and your are penalized. If you don’t want to be penalized, purchase health insurance. It’s still a choice.

      Reply
      • That’s no choice at all moron. It’s a ripoff either way. Choice would be if I want health insurance I’ll buy it. If I don’t want health insurance I won’t buy it. And I won’t be penalized by the stinking commie politician in the White House for it either.

        Reply
        • Damn shame how this gov, under Obama, has passed a law to steal money from people,while abridging their constitutional right of the choice to not purchase something,it they choose to not do so,in this case purchase health insurance. This penalty that is imposed on people at tax time is blatant theft. And done so with little regard to whether a person can afford pay this penalty of $695,or more,when people have credit card debts that they are struggling with,morgages, high rents,etc,etc etc. All Obama accomplished with this unfair tax penalty for not having health coverage was-to steal money from many who don’t have $695 to give away,so he could place it into the government funds,probably to help pay off the government debt. Did these thieves ever consider that if someone was uninsured all year or part of it,he,she might have been sent medical bills for an uninsured visit to a health care facility,and might need this $695 to pay it off. Silly fools all of them in gov.

        • Lorraine, I think you missed the target some what, as far as where the money goes. You pay outrageous premiums and are taxed if you don’t, so many that choose not to work, illegals, your higher elected officials don’t have to pay, or pay much for healthcare.

          This government from 08, has done nothing to pay towards the deficit, rather has greatly increased it and much for entitlement programs. Why was voter turnout so strong for the liberla prez? Why is Bernie and Clinton so popular?? They are offering more “free stuff”, Seems to me, even a “smart liberal should be able to see where this country is going (bankruptcy), they vote out of PC, or emotional guilt, not being pragmatic. The “kumbaya” of the 60’s was fun, but it wont work with a country of 350 million people.

    • Obamacare is not a tax or a penalty for those that don’t have health insurance–it will in fact save people money on healthcare! It will lead to reduced premiums for all people and better health care for all people. The right wingers, and their propaganda source Fox News, are maligning Obamacare through a series of duplicitous comments because they want the current 100% increase in healthcare every 10 years to continue ad infintum with no respite for the American People. Obamacare will stop the uninsured from taking advantage of ER’s and passing the cost along to the insured in the form of higher premiums or higher taxes. It will free up doctors’ time in the ER. It will cover tens of millions more people. It will increase focus on HOW TO STAY WELL instead of after the fact treatments, which cost huge sums of money so that over time heath care costs for the total population will be lowered substantially. It will eliminate pre-condition clauses, limits on coverage and it will reduce drug prices for the American People. The right wing GOP has NO solution for anything, let alone health care—they are content with 100% increases in costs every ten years. As everyone knows, as a result of these unsustainable cost increases, business has had to saddle their employees with more and more of these increased costs. It’s over the top now, but the GOP doesn’t care. Obama is taking a sensible approach which will reduce healthcare cost over time, cover millions more people, and result in a healthier population. What can’t the right wingers understand about this?

      Reply
      • Griffin: your arguments do not make any sense. The reason that insurance costs what it does is simple statistics and algorithims. They assess the risk of insuring you and when the cost is too high, they drop you. How can insurance costs go down when they will now be required to keep their “million dollar” patients? This is a push to disolve the private insurance business and go to universal care. People know how to stay well, people know when they are over weight, people know they should not smoke, etc. but we still have free will and people will continue to do these things. What’s next? If your BMI is over 30 we add a thousand dollars per point until you get it down to where the government wants it? The arguments over Obama Care are not left or right, they are about keeping the government out of our lives.

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      • The premiums have gone up over 6 times compared to before ocare. It’s a welfare program paid for by tax penalties, increase premiums and other income and product taxes. You don’t have clue . You have to be one of the people with “Free” coverage. Good luck since this system of govt. will implode soon. Nothing is free and you will find that out the hard way.

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      • Maybe govt can give you something for nothing,even after all the waste,fraud and inefficiencies of govt.Kind of doubt it.I’m thinking the Dems are transitioning us to health care rationing(AKA single payer).That may be a good thing,if it gets ignorant,lazy Americans to start taking better care of themselves,relying on their own bodies as their primary doctor,since care won’t be readily available.

        Reply
    • Right on Mark. The real cause of rising health care costs are litigious lawyers, and insurance companies who flex their muscles and force doctors to raise their prices to get a decent payment from them. Obama-care does nothing to address these problems.

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      • Don’t say that it is fair to impose a tax penalty on someone who is health uninsured,because he,she,may utilize an emergency room for their health care,and the payment for such is passed onto the insured with higher permiums,because this is not how it works. If you have no health coverage and you are treated in an emergency room,you think they say “Oh you’re uninsured,so this service is free”? No that’s not how it works,but you are sent a bill for the visit,and if you claim not to be able to pay it,then they charge you according to your income percentage. If you’ve no income,and on welfare or similalr,well you’d be getting emergency room,and doctor visits free anyway. So how do you jerks figure that the uninsured are able to get health care for free,when they get medical service ? It doesn’t work out that way. In that most facilities,unless it is a free clinic,they send an uninsured person a bill for the service,if he had no health coverage,or at the least,charge him,by his income level.The health coverage uninsured are always held responsible for they payment of services rendered,and believe me,they will hound you with that bill until you pay it, It IS NOT PASSED ON as higher premiums for the insured, No that’s done by the greedy health care programs,because they are after all a business, forever looking to increase the salary of doctors,and health care workers,just like any providers,be it landlords,or anyone else looking to increase their profits. So stop blaming the higher cost of health care on the uninsured,to justify the $695 and rising amount that they will be in debt to pay,it’s has not justification and is plain out thievery .

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        • My Husband and I have 4 children. And my husband pays child support ($660 per month ). Their is no way we can afford health insurance for our family.

          thanks to Obama care insurance companies have dropped out of our Market Place in East Tennessee. My husband currently has humana through work. he pays $285 per month just for himself for insurance because it’s required for his work. Family insurance is $1200 per Month!

          Lets look at the Math here:

          $42,000 year income
          – 14,400 if we had family insurancw
          – 7,920 for child support
          – 4,620 fed income
          -3,000 deductible for insurance that we’re still left paying to get any coverage from insurance
          -7,200 for Rent at $600 per month

          That leaves us with $4860 a year to feed, cloth, pay electric, pay for gas to and from work..

          $405 left a month to cover all living expenses.

          OR Not pay that 14,400 per year for Health coverage and take a $3,000 fine at the end of the year.

          I’ll take the fine and try to scrape by during the year.

          We DO NOT qualify for publis assistance, food stamps, or any other help. We Do Not make enough money to recieve help. But Sure, Obama we would love to pay for that health insurance.

          Honestly I’d love to be able to afford insurance. But it’s impossible. My husband makes $18 per hour and we’re still struggling. And he’s on one of the highest paying jobs in town. I don’t know what else to do.

          here’s wishing everyone much Luck

          keep up your heads. Believe in Love & Kindness and we will all pull through.

          Thats what i tell my kids daily.

          best wishes.

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