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  Here is why the individual mandate, a.k.a Obamacare penalty, is no longer in effect from 2019: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. So confused do to an over sight my wife and I lost health coverage at the beginning of this year…found out in August that my coverage was dropped through my employer….I do not understand what my penatly will be we made approximately 94000 this year and in August my wife was able to get good health coverage through her employer while my employer said tough crap and left me hanging …stupid me I picked up temp insurance thinking this would cover me but discovered yesterday in the eyes of the gov i was not covered so my real question is is it gonna be like 6000 dollars for a fine or is it gonna be 2%….can I file separately taxes wise to reduce for both of us due to me only making 38000 could this reduce it ?

    Reply
    • You will pay for the months that there was not coverage. 1/12 of the potential yearly penalty for each month not covered. There are short term gap exemptions if she went no more than 2 months without coverage. 2015 there is a maximum penalty of 2% of your income. Goodluck.

      Reply
    • Hey Jerry, if your lapse in coverage is 3 months you will not owe a penalty and if you lost your insurance involuntarily you will not owe a penalty. Just for reference the penalty is the higher of 325 or 2% of your income with a cap of $975 per family.

      Reply
  2. America protest by not paying into the so called affordable care act system. I can no longer afford it …can you? I’m not going to pay for it. Maybe if we all quit the system they will listen?
    The end is nearer than when we first began.
    One world government will soon be upon us…think about it.
    You know the world is run by the richest Moby’s.
    They own and run the Media…TV, NEWSPAPERS, HOLLYWOOD
    , ECT. dare I say government ? Ya think???…everything is bought and paid for by the elite. They have always tried to portray something catastrophic going on in this world with one scare or another The Nuclear war…Natural diasters the weather changes…Terrorist’s now.
    It is true those things exist but they hipe up the Fear …it’s still controlled by media and money and from the few richest in the world. They will try to scare us into believing we need one world government control. Don’t buy in… you will sell your very soul. Now we have have chips in our credit cards. Your next.

    Reply
  3. My insurance has rose to almost $300 a month for 2016. I cannot afford that anymore. I was barely able to pay it before at $235. So, for 2016 I won’t have any. I make just under $30000 a year. But I’m single and living on my own. It’s either have health insurance and live in bad part of town where young women shouldn’t live or live decent and have no health insurance.

    Reply
    • Very sorry. I only wish everyone understood that this is just the beginning of what many of us knew would become a disaster. In my household, we pay hundreds of dollars to have the legally required insurance, but it covers NOTHING until we pay $10,000 or a little more. The premiums everyone must pay for that type of non coverage, coverage is a tax!!! That, my friends- is not insurance. It seems more like Mafia protection money. We have to pay money and not have coverage- or we will be penalized for not having coverage. (My apologies to the Mafia.) We’d be better off paying cash for everything. Again, I am so very sorry about your situation. I wish you blessings and good changes so that you will have the required coverage. Our premiums doubled and our deductible increased substantially. I hold the Democrats solely responsible for this mess. They need to own up to it. It needs to be undone!
      We could have had laws passed that improved the holes in our insurance laws, we never needed government medical insurance. They could have made pre-existing conditions against the law, and they could have made it possible to keep your adult children on your policy without penalty until they were 26 without this fiasco. It was forced down our throats with a Democratic controlled congress and senate December 2009.

      Reply
      • The health care act is not a democratic thing the model was built around what Mitt Romany did in Massachusetts and the bill that Rand Paul introduced then it was taken from there I am not a Democrat or republican I vote for the candidate that I think fits my core believes the costs are driven by the drug companies and insurance companies until we stand up and take notice that these companies make our seniors chose between eating or buying there medicine that is the true travesty of the real problem

        Reply
    • All my professional life I worked for companies that provided insurance at no cost or very little cost to me. And I was making between $55-60,000/year. In recent years, I have hit some hard times and was unemployed for more than a year because I was “overqualified”. I am now working for about half of what I was making before, no benefits at all, no holiday pay, no sick time, nothing. I have to pay rent, utilities, phone, car payment, auto and renters insurance. By the time the feds and the state take their slice of my income, I am running in the red every month. How the hell can I afford to pay $100-$200/month insurance premiums with astronomical deductibles. I have also noticed the incredible increases by the insurance companies on the deductibles and OOP limits. In this day and age, how can anyone making around $30,000/year afford that. Most of us wouldn’t even meet the deductible, then pay more in premiums for the next year with higher deductibles. We are just giving our money to the insurance companies and it is in no way “helping the middle class.” We are getting screwed! Last year, when I filed my taxes, I had been on unemployment for the entire year. But because I qualified for the maximum weekly benefit, I could not qualify for State assistance, but also couldn’t afford the insurance premiums. Not only did I not get the paltry refund on my taxes, but I had to pay additional because of the Obamacare penalties. Helping the middle class ….. that’s a load of crap. The government has no business being involved in the insurance business.

      Reply
        • It isn’t about the “middle class”, it is about socialism for the lowest class. Many of you likely voted this moron in,,TWICE!! or didn’t vote at all. Most Americans are ignorant of the fact that their country as they knew it, is be eroded by quilt throwing PC. This bill was for nothing more than Obama’s “legacy”, pushed through by a liberal congress (not even read I might add) and his voters that will get it for free , or nearly free. Just look at the food stamp rolls and how they have doubled since the libs controlled EVERYTHING the 1st 4 years (08-12)

          No doubt there are a very few that honestly benefit and need this help, but it would have been cheaper for us all, if as a country, just paid for the 10-20 million that could prove the need through the system we already had. I’d rather subsidized a Medical facility with proof of need, than penalize every hard working American for having a fricken job.

      • Unfortunately, I’m facing the EXACT same scenario as you. My income is now half what it used to be, and I’m paying out more money than I ever have before. This “healthcare” plan will now cost me even MORE money that I DON’T have.

        Reply
      • You see what this is don’t you? This is how the elite rob those that barely have their head above water to keep them struggling or to make them even poorer…

        Reply
  4. I am not in politics and never expressed an interest in it. I have thought of running for president because I would really clean things up. That is my promise! I don’t care about fame or any of the BS that goes with it. I wouldn’t take crazy trips or spend thousands on crap! I would stop foreign spending and start at home! I would take care of us! This is insane. I am responsible. I would make it work I promise! I just don’t have the money or the funds. I have a youtube channel and a podcast on iTunes, which is called ROTTER RANT. I feel bad ranting as bad as I do but reading these comments, it’s what I rant about mostly. This needs to stop. Someone needs to step up. It’s not even being hidden…it’s right before our eyes insane! Crazy increases for nothing! They wont’ even pay for doctor visits on a ppo unless you met your $6000 deductible! I’m forgoing insurance as of 12/31/2015 and taking the penalty. I will also claim more on my form for dependents with HR, which is legal to do, so I get more back each paycheck! I’ll play the game.

    Reply
  5. Here is what you people don’t understand – I think you all who are barking about health insurance premiums being not affordable — you all are the very same ones who will expect care if you get sick and will most likely default on paying your hospital or doctor bill so guess what happens? They raise taxes to take care of the deficit you create by receiving healthcare and not paying for it. Americans complain too much. Most times when people complain that they cannot afford something, it is clearly that they don’t want to pay for it. Stop whining! If you are truly that broke, the state has programs that will help subsidize, if you cannot get subsidy and they tell you, you are making too much to get help, then guess what? It is simply that this is not a priority for you. Change your priorities. Stop whining, be responsible and grow up!

    Reply
    • I have worked my since I was 14 / now 56 and have gladly paid for health insurance and felt it was the right thing to do even though I rarely used it. Because my husband and I make $65,000 per year combined we do not qualify for help. We just signed up for the cheapest plan, which is all we can afford, for $924 per month. $6,800 deductible per person before they will pay anything including office visits.
      This is basically a catastrophic policy with a high premium or in my opinion a tax. I do not blame Obama, I blame our government as a whole for allowing it to happen. People must stand together to oppose this….it is shameful.

      Reply
      • That is more than 8% of your income, you should be able to qualify for a true catastrophic policy outside of the network but you must file for the exemption.

        Reply
        • Not true Shane, “Catastrophic” plans are only available to ages 30 and under as I was told by the “exchange”, should also be in the faqs section of their website. From what I was told, these plans are geared towards low income students.

    • Not true LouLa… some of us are actually in a situation where we can’t afford it and are not eligible for subsidies. If I buy coverage at work (the kind of plan that actually covers something, the one without a $10000 deductible) it would cost my husband and I $600 per month. We don’t make much, so based on income alone we would be eligible for subsidies, but the catch is because a plan is offered at my job we can’t get subsidies. On the state exchange a plan would still cost us over $500 per month. Some people actually cannot afford to pay $6500 per year for insurance we do not need, I’d rather take the fine. And the worst part is the whole family is penalized…. my husband is not offered insurance at work so you would think he could qualify for subsidies. But no… if one person has it offered, nobody gets help paying. This entire system is BS.

      Reply
    • I can tell ur one that has the easy life. Someone like me who barely scrapes by every month, and truly can’t afford the extra bill, isn’t even able to get government assistance. I make just barely enough to kick me off government assistance and just barely over “shit” care act. Not to mention I do get sick and its cheaper for me to go to any other doctor than what shit care wants me to go to. When I can go to a doctor for under 75 bucks and my “insurance” wants me to pay 150+ to see a primary care doctor yeah I call it bull shit insurance and think it’s the biggest joke ever. Some people can’t afford this bull shit. My job offers insurance but its half my biweekly pay so yeah I can’t afford that either. So why don’t u put urself in our shoes for once and realize that there’s about 10%+ of Americans that fall into that shit outa luck category.

      Reply
    • This is so far from true its disgusting. Lets set up a quick scenario of child support.. Its not deducted from your gross income and its considered part of your income for almost every “helpful” program out there. The only assistance program I have found that takes child support into consideration is day care. So my husband pays around 6000 a year in child support. That money never enters into our household but it is considered our income. Both of our both of our car payments together are almost less then what he pays in support a month. Our rent is less. We also have no cable and straight talk phones. We receive no food stamps or other government assistance programs. We MAY qualify for a 9 dollar premium reduction a month on our insurance. We have a new baby and both work full time at decent paying jobs and when I say we cannot afford at the very cheapest $300 a month plus $12000 deductibles I mean it. Its not that we choose not to its because we literally do not have 300 extra dollars a month. Would you like us to give up our home, a vehicle, maybe we should stop buying toys, clothing, and food for our children and ourselves and then well be able to afford the insurance every month that we still wont be able to afford. I got strep throat a few months back and paying the 85 dollars for the doctor visit had to come out of savings and its not even a 3rd of what our premium would be for a month. How you can look at the system and not realize it is broken. Some Americans were raised to work their very hardest and not take handouts. Im a college graduate working at a job that you don’t even need a degree for my husband is a tradesmen. We have both worked since we were 15. Him even sooner then that. My father watches my son because we cant afford daycare. Our only hope is that soon I will get a state job and get a pay raise and afford the insurance that is offered and be able to put my son in daycare so I can lessen the burden to my father who is a retired disabled veteran of 20 years. I do not know the circumstances of your life or of your family but do realize that there are Americans truly suffering from this. We have no choice in taking the penalty because its still less then what paying for insurance would cost. We as a free people should NEVER BE FORCED TO CONSUME A PRODUCT OR PAY A PENALTY!

      Reply
      • Yes Yes Yes, life is very difficult. Try being the single parent. When I add up basic living, rent (to live in sub-stand housing), electric, car, auto insurance. And I don’t qualify for assistance. I truly don’t know what people do to dig out of these type of financial situations. There’s nothing left for food or clothing and now I’m suppose to pay for heath insurance. So what are we to do? I agree we should never be forced to consume a product especially one that only harms us and takes away our ability to provide true needs to our children and ourselves.

        Reply
    • I pay my doctor bills my self, if I go to the hospital I pay it…but I can’t afford this high insurance. I still have to pay the dam pinalty. .
      So what’s your smart ass answer to that……………I have pay
      For all the iligals or refugees. .because they get everything g free

      Reply
    • I do agree with you Lou La. But have you looked at the amounts you need to make in this country to get help? We are a family of 4 I use to work so we never had this problem but I recently got hurt had major back surgery and according to my doctor I can no longer work. I’m not looking for a hand out but have 2 growing boys. I am still better off then some yes agreed I at least have a roof over my head. But a family of four has to make less then something like $28,000 a year. Tell me living on Long Island paying all these taxes how can we afford to pay these crazy prices? I agree some people just are winning like the guy who makes over $95,000 a year if you make that much you can afford it. But not everyone complaining here can I know I can’t we barely make it

      Reply
    • It’s obvious based on the comments whose paying for the insurance and who isn’t. You’re obviously not paying for it so you have NO FREAKIN’ CLUE what you’re talking about. I support a family of 6. My premium in 2015 was $2500 a month and in 2016, BCBS of NC reduced the doctors we can see and raised my monthly premium to $3100. My father-in-law thought I was lying until I showed him my bill. It’s not exactly “whiny” trying to decide whether to make my house payment or pay my health insurance bill.

      Do all of us a favor and STFU. You have absolutely NO CLUE because you don’t have to pay for this BS.

      Reply
    • I HAVE insurance..always have– my adult son does not but I have paid 100 percent for ALL his medical care.. Do you really think it is fair that I be penalized 2200 for that? No one has paid for us– but apparently I am paying for other people out there somewhere..

      Reply
    • So what about everyones situation before Obamacare? My family makes 60,000 year family of 6 , but keep in mind wven after taxes its not even that amount. We already had the badics 1 car payment 1 house mortgage payment and just reg utility bills and we skimped already on groceries , just the badics. So when obama care came into play we we coukdnt affird indurance for me it is too high at hubbys sork and through tbe exchange its like they fisnt care what peoplles situtatjkn was before So They expect is to let tbe van go bavk to bank i need my one decrnt car . Not like you can get out of a car oayment then u have bigger probkems not like I can sell my house how would i get another when its nit wirth what i paid for it 8 years ago . You see not everything is what u believe some already had basic bills and cant downsize anymire to affird the healthcare or the penalty.

      Reply
      • Maybe you should have rented your house instead of buying it? Another brain-washing that is routinely done in America: buying house is NOT a good option for a lot of people, unlike what your government and society makes you believe.

        Reply
    • You must have plenty of money is all I can say! It’s not priority it is survival! Americans should not be forces to buy something they can’t afford that’s the bottom line! And Obama care is a rip-off designed to make government officials richer and the working class poorer. Why don’t they live on minimum wage and try to raise a family? Their family is set for life thanks to hardworkingpeople trying to get by!! What an asshat you are to even think it is a priority.

      Reply
    • LouLa, Perhaps the people here (“YOU people” as you put it) are tired of being taken advantage of. I see that there are a lot of hard-working Americans on this blog speaking their mind. If you even have a brain, “LouLa”, it should occur to you that insurance premiums have increased dramatically since the start of “Obama Care” but the quality of benefits has decreased (higher deductibles, etc). By the time the insurance premium is paid, there often is not much money left to ACTUALLY seek healthcare. People are conveying that it is increasingly difficult to pay bills when the government is embezzling money from us (not to mention that it is totally Communist in doctrine). So, why don’t you get your head out of your %#@ and you GROW UP and pinch yourself so that maybe you can wake up from the little fantasy world you appear to live in. How Obama Care solves anything is a mystery. If it is so great, then why doesn’t President Obama and his family and Congress have it?

      Reply
  6. Does anyone know the answer to this…

    I have had insurance all year. My husband and I got married in June at which time I added him to my insurance. He, however, has been unemployed all year and therefore did not have insurance prior to me adding him. Will we have to pay a penalty?

    Reply
    • He will have to pay a portion of a penalty- for every month he did not have insurance. if he was without insurance half the year, he will have to pay 50% of the penalty. Best of luck. I hope it’s not too much.

      Reply
      • The fact that Chelsea’s husband was unemployed prior to them getting married will not qualify him for an exemption?

        Reply
  7. It is unfathomable to me that Americans do not demand single payer or a form of it from their elected reps or throw their reps out. The US is the only one of the 16 developed nations that does not have some form of single payer HC. Is everyone else in the world out of step or are we out of our minds? Our HC outcomes are rated 37th in world, our infant death rate is the highest in the industrialized world and our HC costs are double that of any of our industrialized competitors except Israel. How’s that for a competitive disadvantage? Look up how many deaths a year are attributable to hospital mistakes. It would take a staggering amount of 747’s to drop out of the sky to approach the total.

    Full disclosure. Wife has a history of breast cancer. No exchanges in our state. Monthy premium w/suppliment $350, deductable $6,700. You make the call relative to penalty.

    Reply
    • That’s because America doesn’t really care for its slaves, the powers that be only care about money and power , and how they can take it from us, .We are all slaves.NWO

      Reply
    • I think it all went to heck- back in the 70’s when they started with the HMO. It has only grown more complicated. How many people do you see now before you see the doctor? We used to go to the dr, some had NO receptionists or assistants. Now, my doctor has two assistants, and two people up front before I ever see him. The paper work causes cost increases. The HIPPA laws added great burdens and expenses to our medical system. No one talks about that. We have some amazing strides and growth in the medical field, but it has been an uphill battle for the medical professionals trying to keep their heads above the demands of paper work, and managed care. We don’t need a single payer system, we need less intervention by non medical interventionists!

      Reply
    • Those figures about USA healthcare are complete crap. Other countries ABORT all their babies and dont even try to save premie babies. We do and sometimes they dont make it.

      Anyone who looks into these bullshit progressive communist claims about our health care will see how fabricated and twisted they are.

      If you think you can get better heath care in 37 other countries you go for it. Its complete total bullshit.

      Reply
  8. I have health INS, but can’t afford to use it because of the high deductables, so I don’t understand why I should keep paying for it. I would rather pay into a medical savings account, not a use it or lose it plan but a savings plan.

    Reply
    • I think its turning into a communist government, the way they tax you for not having insurance, and give it to to people who are over here illegally. I’m voting republican this time , they say that they will get rid of this obamacare forced insurance.

      Reply
      • I will be forced to react the same way, (voting republican). Carson understands the problem, however might have to do Trump, the front runner. I’m a democrat, I don’t want Hillary. I’m way off subject, I might just not vote and see how it all turns out.

        Reply
        • You’re not a true democrat if you’d vote for the other party, just as a Republican wouldn’t be a true Republican if he/she would vote for the other party.

          If you sympathize with liberal ideas, but would vote for a Republican because the Democrats have lost touch with reality on a specific political talking point/piece of legislation, then I would have to say you’re a Realist who sympathizes with liberal principles, not a Democrat. Because to a party, what the party wants will always matter more than personal opinion.

        • No. You have to vote! Many people died for our right to vote. I agree I don’t want Hillary and I don’t see a Republican I trust, esp. loony Trump who seemed like a good man at first. Too bad he is showing that for a supposed smart business man that he is immature. Anyway. I have friends who lost jobs in the insurance field due to downsizing in their companies because of Obamacare. Also the deductibles are too high from what I read on here. Does anyone see yet any stats re: the rate of people needing medical assistance is going down due to Obamacare? I do give the credit where it is due that there are more lower income people seeking medical care. Do we have enough Drs. to care for them?

        • Um, as far as I know, no one “died” for our “right” to vote. Unless you consider some of the shipwrecked pilgrims… (and I’m not going into the mess of women’s vote, Black’s vote, etc, because no one HAD to die to get the right) But “we” came to this country to get basic freedoms: Greek, Spanish, British, Polish, German, etc. But no one died fighting for our voting rights. Unless you can enlighten us all…..

  9. What we need are incentives for people taking better care of themselves and not using much health care.Obamacare moves in the opposite direction,incentivizing people to use more health care.Typical crazy Democrat logic.

    Reply
  10. It was and always will be a tax on the American people. I’m glad to see Obama gone next year. Hopefully things will get better for the middle class working American. It would appear that we the middle class making 40-50,000 a year maybe better off perusing a lower paying job and get on welfare. ….The whole affordable health care act is BS. It has cost me over 100.00 per month increase each year that the plan has been in affect. 2014. $258. 2015 $359 2016 $470 and this is a silver plan with tax credit. Can’t afford, so Obama you can go f… yourself . Your plan sucks. Tired of getting raped by the so called leader’s of our country.

    Reply
    • My insurance is going from $90/month with $5k deductible (it was a grandfathered policy) with generally fair copays, etc. to $285/month with a $6450 deductible that only provides a preventative “periodic health exam” at no charge and out of country emergency service. All else is not covered until deductible is met! Between my wife and I, this is the best plan that will cost us nearly $7k per year!! We LIVE IN A COMMUNIST nation now, thanks Barack Huessein Obama! Let in 10,000 Syrians who will get free coverage, and take the chance a few ISIS guys are in that bunch. VOTE REPUBLICAN to overturn our socialist government. What will my wife and I do, since we are self-employed? Raise our fees to our clients and stop non-essential spending such as retail purchases and dining out. Who will be hurt? The poor that this ACA was supposed to help because they will be laid off when the economy tanks.

      Reply
    • Amen! I’m canceling insurance for my family so we will be without in 2016. I’m done with the games and the BS! You can’t force me to do anything. I’ll save the money each month what is comfortable for me to save and will pay out of pocket for my kids. The med centers with nurse practitioners at walgreens and cvs are great and it’s average $45 a visit! FU Obama, you terrorist! I have NEVER put the word president before his name. Let them tax me like the commy he is for not having insurance. I will find other ways to make up the difference! We can play games too.

      Reply
  11. I received a letter from Blue Cross (my provider) last week informing me they no longer offer a PPO plan for individual plans and would be put into an Bronze HMO plan. I reviewed the plan and it pays nothing until I meet my deductible of $4,000. Of course the premium for my husband and I is $1,200 per month……for what appears to be nothing as we use Sav-on for our prescription coverage.
    In the same week I received a letter from my Neurologist at UT Southwestern stating they would no longer accept any insurance on the Affordable Care Exchange. I have Multiple Sclerosis and the only doctor I really must have is my Neurologist, which has been treating me for 12 years.
    My brother is an insurance agent and I informed him, I will be canceling my policy so I can afford to pay my doctor bills. He agrees and tells me things that make my stomach turn, like the insurance providers were promised a refund of sorts at year end for number of enrollees. Our government promised something like 40% of and not is saying it will be 5%. No wonder the premiums rose….our Government is CORRUPT.
    I am disabled, my husband is self employed and we do the best we can but our Government is hell bent on destroying our way of life. We don’t have a lot but we GET BY…..OR DID.

    Reply
    • Lynda Husband passed away Aug 2015, his employer took our insurance away the day he would have turned 65 jan. 1st 2015 ,after 35 years of employment. we had a 12 year old at the time of his death. Thank You Sunoco !! That was not in the plan , my parents that are 90 are still covered by company. Now I pay 998.00 a month for insurance for myself and my daughter. Increase notice for Jan. 2017 will be $1.298 dollars a month . I as a widow /single mother who was unpaid caregiver to my husband prior to his death and have not worked for 13 years raising our daughter and 57 years old can’t find work. First time in my life I will probably not get insurance for myself and just get good plan for my daughter she has severe asthma and allergies with medicine being high even with insurance. All I can do is PRAY that I don;t get sick. Scary with the constant stress due to loosing my husband. Penalty ???? Scary not knowing . ONLY HOPE TRUMP SCARY AGAIN BUT TRUE !!

      Reply
  12. We have been a few years into this “Obama Scare” thing. Now what has happened to me personally, is that I had to buy an expensive plan from a website. I could not afford the premium, the deductible, meds, the actual bills and then co-pays. That was within the US Government system website that they call “Marketplace.” I actually got a job where the insurance premiums are included, as a service to it’s employees. I had issues before I knew could never be dealt with, due to Gov’t insurance mandated costs. These costs were much higher than I had on any self purchased insurances. I am noticing fewer companies in 2015, than were in existence earlier. Prices are going up too for co-pays, meds and tests. Face it folks, the cost never went down. We were even told be one political group that this “was a tax” and was unconstitutional. Yet to this date, nobody had sued the US Government, overturned any parts of any of this Obama Scare law, or even made a direct challenge to this set of laws. The IRS is still collecting on insurance dodgers. Nobody had lifted a finger for the American people. Many know this is too expensive for almost all Americans. The only people it actually helps is the poor, who have little resources for insurance and medical care. We had things in place prior to this law. Take Lucas County (Toledo), Ohio’s CareNet. It was a discount program provided by the county medical providers, volunteer doctors, and social working resources. For a while, I was on it. Now that great program to get deep discounted medical, deep discounted meds and have a social worker overlook cases is gone. What extra costs came from the program were a tax write off. Great program… but Obama took it away from us who utilized it. Now we all pay more. Obama Scare was not a good option and is hurting America’s economy in many ways. Hiring part-time workers is just one way. Thanks Obama.

    Reply
  13. is against the law to force people to get health insurance if they don’t want it and what happened to the land of the free??

    Reply
    • Most everyone did not research the documents that were out there on ObamaCare, they listened to the speeches, but wasn’t paying attention to what was really being said between the lines. Government and our President deceived the people they are suppose to be working to help. IRS should never been allowed to have anything to do with Insurance. The IRS and the insurance companies are raping the American People. Without insurance I can see a doctor for $90 a visit. With insurance that I can’t use because I haven’t reach my deductible (enough to buy a good used car), I have to pay $150.00 a visit.

      Reply
  14. I was covered in 2014 because with subsidies I was forking out only $27 a month and the government was pitching in $475 every month. At the close of the year my insurance company notified me that my policy would no longer be offered the following year. It was a Silver plan and it was a gem. Office visits no charge. All blood tests and x-rays were no charge due to the fact that
    they were done in the doctors office. After surveying the available plans for 2015 I decided not to participate because my deductible went from $3200 to $9000 and I had to meet the deductible before anything was covered. Plus my monthly cost went from $27 to $140. I paid for office visits and tests with my family doctor and got a steep discount. Plus the government didn’t have to fork over $450 in subsidies every month. The way I see it I saved the government $5400 in tax payer money. Why then do they want to penalize me for saving them $5400? I wont pay it ( penalty ) and truly hope Obamacare is scrapped . I live on Social Security and find that every dollar is precious and needed for food, taxes, medicine etc….. What is works out to is I would be paying the equivalent of $10680 per year out of my pocket before insurance even kicked in. A sorry state of affairs.

    Reply
  15. Doesn’t anyone wonder why the president, vice president, their families and all of our elected officials on Capital Hill are exempt from Obamacare? This in and of itself should have been a MAJOR red flag to the American people, even though we had NO say or choice in this matter. Most of the voting elected officials didn’t even read the thousands of pages of Obamacare! Why would they when it was not affecting them- and they are making WAY MORE in yearly income than any of the 2 parents/ person working households across the nation.

    Reply
  16. I’m a 21 year old senior in college, I don’t have my parents around because I’m estranged from them-very complicated issues that couldn’t be worked through. For the past 8 months I’ve been paying a premium(under $80) I can afford for a plan I got off of the health care website. While I’m in school 9 months out of the year, I only stay with my boyfriend and his family during breaks. So I don’t have a solid home. I saw some of the plans available, and on a student budget, what I’m seeing is close to $200 per month (or $178 per month at lowest). I’m feeling like I won’t be able to afford insurance because my plan is being discontinued. Will I be able to get any exemptions?

    Reply
    • My insurance has rose to almost $300 a month for 2016. I cannot afford that anymore. I was barely able to pay it before. So, for 2016 I won’t have any. I make just under $30000 a year. But I’m single and living on my own.

      Reply
  17. sorry I will not pay the tax that is forced opon us! I work for my money not to just give it away! It’s one thing to make me pay a tax for buying goods but for forcing me to pay a tax if i don’t have health care sorry you government have taken it to far! I understand you want people to have health insurence and to be coverd but again to force someone to pay a tax cause they don’t have it is wrong and and not right! I say go ahead and take my money for not paying i wouldn’t sign up for your health care if you payed me too! Also i think being forced to buy something like this is sociallist health care and will not fare at all for doing it! If you want to put me in jail for not paying my tax fee or something go ahead and do it! Cause I won’t want my kids growing up in this world we live in! Sorry if this affends any one but i can’t stand being forced to buy health care when i don’t have a job and can’t afford it

    Reply
    • AMEN! I have been preaching this forever! Unfortunately they will take it out of your tax return, which we rely on to live. There are other way I will make up that money. We can play this game as well. I can’t wait for the terrorist to be out of our whitehouse! Proud to say I NEVER voted for him!

      Reply
  18. Those figures are actually the “maximum” penalty per family. I don’t like the affordable care act but I like false information even less…..

    Reply
    • I have both the individual and family penalty amounts listed. Please read the tables which clearly state individual vs family penalties. Not sure where you are getting “false” information form.

      Reply
      • Hello, I am Native American. we have United Indian Health Services which my mother and siblings and me all go to at some point in time thru the year. How come this is not listed on the list of exemptions. I do NOT live on the reservation however we do have a home and property there and are listed tribal members of our tribe. Please respond if you can. AND, for the record i ABSOLUTELY HATE the fact they impose this on the American people, we should NOT be forced to buy anything, even car insurance (which is the biggest scam ever! they use a persons credit against them to determine rate premiums YET they DO NOT report monthly payments to the credit bureau? What kind of horsesh!t is that?? Its not like we can opt out of having that monthly so…they should be FORCED to report our payments!). i believe that being Native American should be listed, as generations have already been forced to live under certain conditions! way to go POTUS!

        Reply
    • It wasn’t false, and you have to pay the higher of the two options. If 2.5% is higher that’s what you will pay. If you make 45K that penalty per person is $1125. With respect there are some “caps” but every year it goes higher and higher. This is an awful plan. Anyone who supports it does not understand how it really works.

      Reply
      • not sure what year you are speaking of, or what year you posted here..The 2014 penalty was $95 PER month PER person; 2015 was $325 PER month PER person; and for 2016 it’s $695 PER month PER person…there is a 3 part worksheet to do (see IRS form i8965) that brings the monthly amounts down some. 9 months of no coverage for my husband and me in 2016 came to a fine of $1042 with total income of 62,530. The worksheets begin on page 15 at the attached link, and go through to the 20th page…

        Reply
  19. My husband had health insurance on both of us through his employer. On October 1 he changed jobs, therefor, causing our insurance to expire. The new job requires a 90 day period before insurance kicks in. Will we have to pay a fee? It’s exactly 3 months without insurance.

    Reply
  20. I was working for myself and never acquired a health care coverage. I work in the oilfield and as you all know it went bust. So I was unemployed for several months. My wife enrolled us in Medicade and we now have that. I am back to work… Again working for myself as a owner operator driving my own tractor trailer. If I keep Medicade will I get penalized? Since I make pretty good money again. Can I keep Medicare while I’m self employed?

    Reply
  21. If my 26 year old still lives at home and has never had a job does he have to pay fine? We missed his special enrollment (9/1/15) due to death in family out of state. Is there any way he could get excused and call 9/8 or 9/9/15 & gey excused to meet special enrollment oor will we havep wait til November 2015 open enrollment?

    Reply
    • if you don’t have a job and don’t file taxes you would not get penalized. you could call the marketplace 1-800 318-2596 and fill out an application when you get the part income you tell them you don’t work and they will give you a code that will exempt you from the fine

      Reply
  22. Hi, if I’m getting a divorce but will still be married at the end of the year (we have had seperated addresses for over a year) and we file “married but seperated ” will I be liable for her penalty for not having health insurance all year? I do have health insurance for myself and my kids. Thanks

    Reply
    • If you have insurance, you will not be penalized. Check the box you have insurance and you should be fine. FYI, you may want to double check the filing status. It’s married filing separate , as in separate returns or married filing a joing return. When you file separate returns you can both end up paying higher income tax. There is not filing status for “separated” couples.

      Reply
  23. Can I use my Hsa account in place of health insurance and if so, what is the minimum amount I need to fund iannually?

    Reply
    • You can use your HSA funds for any approved medical expenses. However you can not pay your health insurance premiums via your HSA and you still need a health insurance plan to avoid the no coverage penalty.

      Reply
  24. I had insurance through June with an employer. How much do I pay for the rest of the year and how do I show it on my tax forms?

    Reply
      • If the penalty is 1200 for the year, you would pay $100 (1/12) of that penalty for every month you were without insurance. There is sometimes a few options that may wave the penalty, but I am not up to speed on those options right now. Good Luck.

        Reply
  25. My friend is an adult man who lives and takes care of his grandfather. His grandfather claims him as an adult dependent. He doe not work but he lives there for free and takes care of his poppop. With that said what can he do so his grandfather is not penalized under the no health insurance act. I mean his grand dad has insurance but the adult male cant afford it under the market place sense he really has no income. Any assist is helpful.

    Reply
      • that is exactly my situation with my adult son– For two years we have been bounced back and forth. Obamacare sends us to Medicaid…. the minute Medicaid finds out I declare him as an adult dependent they want to know MY income. and then they want to base premiums through Obamacare based on that –and I make too much money.. I have had to pay the penalty 2 yrs in a row — this year it was 2200 dollars. I’m so disgusted I don’t know what to do….

        Reply
    • that is exactly my situation with my adult son– For two years we have been bounced back and forth. Obamacare sends us to Medicaid…. the minute Medicaid finds out I declare him as an adult dependent they want to know MY income. and then they want to base premiums through Obamacare based on that –and I make too much money.. I have had to pay the penalty 2 yrs in a row — this year it was 2200 dollars. I’m so disgusted I don’t know what to do….

      Reply
  26. I had a gap in coverage for 2014 due to operational/training/technical difficulties at the WA state health exchange. I was one of the lucky ones who was processed in only 2 1/2 months. According to someone who knows, for many it took up to 6 mos. I have been looking but don’t find an exemption code or category for this type of exception. Andy, what do you know about this? Technical difficulties at the state exchange that kept me from enrolling in a timely manner? The folks who talk to you at http://www.healthcare.gov told me I have to apply for an exemption from the state exchange only; the WASHE told me only the federal exchange at http://www.healthcare.gov can grant exemptions??

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • the penalty is for the full year, but is assessed on a monthly basis. Ie if you have coverage for 5 months, your penalty would be for the 7/12 of total penalty (for 7 months you didn’t have coverage)

      Reply
  27. Do not pay the penalty. The law is written so they can NOT charge you criminally and can NOT put a lien on you for the amount not paid. The only way they can collect is to subtract the penalty you owe from any refund or future refund you might get. Also, many people will get subsidies and wind up paying almost nothing for their policy. The subsidies are huge. $7-8 thousand a year. I do not see how this law can survive without imploding. The more lower income people that apply on the exchange, the more it is going to cost the government. The subsidies go from the federal government(taxpayers) straight to insurance companies.

    Reply
    • this really sux for those, like me, who rely on the tax money that comes back at the end of the year. My family relies on that to live on. Maybe I should claim a crazy high amount to get more each paycheck, so I wind up paying more, then if I need to pay, I will pay what I owe and never the tax on this BS so called coverage!

      Reply
  28. One of the ways to legally circumvent the ACA health penalty is claiming Domestic Abuse. This is the only exemption for which no paperwork or proof needs to be submitted. I wonder what happens if everyone who is liable to pay penalty under ACA, claims this same reason of domestic violence and does not pay the ocare tax. What would the consequences be?

    Reply
  29. Here’s what happens to the unemployed: for most of us, we can’t afford to pay for any coverage while we are trying to keep a roof over our heads and food on the tables. Later in the year we may find jobs, with or without insurance. But because our requirements to purchase insurance are determined by our annual incomes, if we go for more than 3 months without coverage we are subject to the fines if we do become employed . I guess the administration feels it’s better to let our mortgages go into default and pay for useless coverage than trying to keep a home and family together. It’s our Patriotic duty to become homeless!

    Reply
    • If you’re unemployed and you’re receiving ‘unemployment income’, you will likely receive a federal subsidy (tax credit) to offset 75-95% of the cost of your health insurance through healthcare.gov or your particular State Exchange. If you’re unemployed and receiving NO ‘unemployment income’, you can enroll onto Medicaid very easily if your state is one of the states that has accepted Medicaid Expansion like KY, CA, AZ, AR, CO, MN, (plus many others). At the very least Medicaid is a very good stop gap, costs nothing, and has very little or no out-of-pocket should you have a claim.

      Both scenarios above will preclude you from paying any tax penalty.

      If your home state is one like TX or MS or FL or KS or TN, etc … then Medicaid likely isn’t available to you (or MUCH more difficult to get) because states like these have not accepted the Medicaid Expansion; therefore, you indeed may remain uninsured and find yourself on the hook for the tax penalty. Keep in mind that there’s an exemption from the penalty if the cost of health insurance exceeds 8% of your annual income. If one is unemployed, it’s very likely that this 8% thresh hold will come into play and you will not find yourself paying any penalty.

      Reply
      • They didn’t ” accept it” because it is a similar drain on tax payers. I’d rather the country pay for the healthcare of the truly indigent and needy, rather than those that just don’t work. If you decide to stay unemployed, Why should I be mandated to pay tax premiums from my income, to pay for your choice..

        Having and depending on a government to run your life, is like a dog chasing his tail.

        BTW, Medicaid cost nothing?? who do you think pays for this?? The medicaid rolls have skyrocketed after Ocare, along with many other government subsidies (food stamps). The price is much higher than the mandated Tax we pay for HCA folks.

        Reply
    • Sara,
      you got it! A president looks out for the best interest of their people. this BS tax certainly does not! It destroys the middle class from the inside. Many doctors will not accept this BS so the “you can keep your doctor” doesn’t even work. I am choosing to put food on the table for my family. This has become a double car payment tax. I will take the penalty and play the game just as well as they can to make up the difference. I’ve been looking forward to this terrorist getting out of our whitehouse since day one!

      Reply
    • I am very sorry. The ACA was not written with real people in mind. It was numbers and statistics. Real families, with budgets, and real life (illness, changes in employment and so forth)
      are being placed into poverty and have NO coverage. Gone are the old policies we could keep, or even the opportunity to pay for our own medical expenses. Now we must pay and/or be penalized for not paying and we still have no coverage.

      Reply
  30. We had health insurance but it only covered up to $100,000. Lost coverage. Family of 3. Make less than 30K a year. Yearly premium with $9K deductible is $7332 a year. How can I make my house payment if I have health insurance? DO NOT qualify for medicaid. Your are a genius King Putt. These numbers don’t add up to prosperity.

    Reply
  31. Holy shit what happened to us? Not one positive comment. We have to remind the people who serve us that we pay are crippling us. I can’t afford 2% or $325. Whata joke. Just call it a god dam tax why we need fancy names Ocare n Affordable care. I can’t afford nothing now I’m out $300+. Obamatax not obamacare

    Reply
  32. I can’t even get a 1095-a form . Obama heath people has screwed up my account that they can’t even fix it. All I get from them is we are sorry. This is nothing but bullshit.

    Reply
    • This is illegal allowing this government to force Americans to purchase anything and causing us to suffer financial hardship. This is the result of a under taxed greedy industry using the higher powers of office to force americans to guarantee financial benefit to these crooks. This is a felony to the highest level and this supreme court is just as corrupt for enforcing . This is the first true act of socialism/communisum enforcement. These people are not fit to serve and should be removed from the supreme court and Obama should go to prison. What are these corrupt people going to enforce next, you have to buy a car, a house? Where does it end if this B S law continues. We are a free people and we have the right to choose what we want to purchase and not to be ruled by some corporate dictatorship. We don’t have to work in America it’s a choice. I’m not going to pay for something I don’t want and that’s my right and we didn’t for vote a dictatorship, but this is what we got. That’s why we need to fight against this government corruption and demand that we choose in this country what we want to pay for and not what a dictator tells us to purchase then steal our entitled refund we worked so hard for from these slave wages since this criminal government never enforced a proper living wage so that we could afford a greedy medical insurance plan. I think insurance companies should give refunds each year when insurance wasn’t used. Same with auto, home, ect.

      Reply
  33. It is certainly hurting the middle class not helping. I live each day wondering how I will pay for my next meal yet my government is now going to force me to pay a penalty because I can’t afford his lousy health insurance coverage. Its not about making health insurance affordable–it’s about control. Slowly but surely they are taking away our freedom of choice. Just look at what they are now talking about with regards to meat eaters. It’s bullshit. It’s all about control but what do people expect when they put a Muslim in the WhiteHouse. Before long they will have us under Sharia Law.

    Reply
  34. What I want to know is, how can I fight against this bullshit penalty I have to pay for not having health insurance? Is this not unconstitutional? I purposely live a healthy lifestyle so I don’t have to pay for insurance, I buy good quality food, which costs more, so that I can be healthy on my own. I feel like this is all just wrong.

    Reply
    • Do you consider auto insurance bad? Even if you keep your car washed, oil changed, lubed,
      and good brakes? It makes no difference how well you care for your car if you happen to be hit by a reckless driver or a pile up on the freeway…..and if you happen to be unfortunate and are injured, who will pay the hospital bills?
      Insurance covers “unknown or unpredictable situations”. And if your hospital bills go unpaid,
      all premiums rise, and everyone is dinged a little because one person failed to follow the law.

      Reply
      • This is like someone not owning a car and still having to pay for car insurance?? Because somebody might hit there car they don’t even own because they assume that will happen…

        Reply
        • This is exactly what I said yesterday! Forcing me to pay for motorcycle insurance when I don’t have a bike and don’t ride one! So what’s the problem here! I take care of my own and I don’t want to sound like I’m not for the people because I am, but I refuse to aid those who are here illegally! I refuse to pay for insurance because I need a house and food for my family. I will be canceling end of 2015 unfortunately. I will pay the fine but will find ways to make up the difference. We can play this game as well. I will also be changing the amount I claim on my taxes so I get more back on every paycheck! This will pay me back much less at tax time but that means they can’t take the fine from me. By law they cannot take legal action against you but they can take from your tax return.

      • When you have to pay more for your health insurance, than your house payment that really sucks. They say it’s affordable, but if you have a $6000 deductable, and your paying $105 a month , you might as well say your paying $650 a month, and it doesn’t pay for anything , till you pay that $6000.I guess they think we’re all stupid. Well I guess there are some who voted for king Obama our dictator.

        Reply
    • I hear you Jason, I feel exactly the same way, I choose my lifestyle, I choose not to be medicated, hacked on, and medical `regimented to live, Isn’t that what makes America America? Freedom of Choice?
      besides the fact, a insurance primium at my age is over 600.00 a month, sorry I don’t have that kind of spare change laying around I’m single always have been independent, have a morgage, pay a car loan, insurance on both that is required by law and I don’t mind that, I pay my utilities on my own and feed myself,have pets, and yes, I have credit cards for some leisure spending. Shame on me for taking care of myself.

      Reply
      • I agree w you. I’m self employed and my premium skyrocketed from $348 – 500 + next year. I can put the cost of my premiums which will be equal to my $6,000 deductible in an HSA account and take the penalty and still be ahead of the game.

        Reply
    • They need your money to pay for all of the people who made poor choices in their lives such as alcoholics, drug abusers, red meat and sugar addicts. And most of these obese people are low income so YOU are paying for their subsidy. This is socialism where bad behaviors are rewarded and responsible individuals are punished. Welcome to the new America!

      Reply
    • How wonderful for you Jason to know that you will never get sick ! I bet you’re such a fantastic driver that you won’t even get in a crash either? So you don’t need car insurance then. Great ! I just have a question – do you actually think it would be acceptable to just ‘let you die a horrible a slow death’ if anything happens to you and your medical bills will be $400,000? If you think that is acceptable, hey, because you’re ‘free’, then you are lying.

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  35. This is crap my father was just told he has to pay more than $5000.00 dollars in taxes because of this crazy mandate- Obama care! can anyone please help me understand why??

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  36. My adult son lives with us. He has never been employed and has no income of his own. Because we supply all of his support we count him as a dependent on our taxes. Do we have to pay a penalty for him not having health insurance? My husband is retired, draws social security, and is insured. I have insurance through my job. We can’t afford insurance for our son. If we have to pay for him not being insured, maybe it’s best we just don’t put him on our tax return. This is all such a mess..

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    • We have been supporting our adult daughter, age 33, while she attended graduate school in another state. She completed her studies in June ’14 and is currently looking for a job. Meanwhile, we are still supporting her since she has no other income and hasn’t since 2013 in graduate school. According to information we’ve read, our daughter would be a qualifying relative and therefore, we could claim her on our taxes. She is also exempt from the Affordable Care insurance in the state of Georgia where she continued to reside since graduation. We live in South Carolina. If we claim our daughter, are we going to be penalized?

      Reply
    • You may want to leave him off of your taxes. He likely will not file a tax return … I assume. Anyone who is not required to file is exempted from any penalty.

      Further, if you’re in a state that has accepted the Medicaid Expansion your son should be able to enroll onto Medicaid at no cost. So, he then has health insurance AND is on a qualified plan.

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  37. You took the words right out of my mouth Todd. The hate I have for Obama is the same as I would have for a thief who broke into my house and stole my belongings. They’re one and the same.

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  38. I carry health insurance for myself, my children, and my estranged wife through my employer plan. My (ex) wife and I file taxes separately. How will she show her coverage or how will the IRS verify her coverage and how will this affect my taxes?

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    • Nobody mentioned that the penalty as of 2014 was 1% tax penalty of your overall gross income that we had to pay for no insurance, Then for 2015 it went up to a 2% tax penalty and now it’s going up to a 2.5% penalty. When will the hikes stop. Offering Insurance to everyone was suppose to help us not put us in more debt as a people. Not to mention the skyrocketing cost of healthcare keeps increasing as well…It’s f_ #cking unbelievable how we’er getting ripped-off even more. Heath care should be a choice to have and the government should be helping us get the insurance at a lesser cost not dangling the carrot and and taking it away something else if you cannot afford it. BAIT N SWITCH situation to the max. The gov’t needs to stay out of the personal affairs of the US people and honor our somewhat rights that we have left and allow us to decide to get insurance as an as needed basis. It’s just another way Obama is getting back all the wasted money that were overpaying for contract screw ball deals and special interest for all kinds of unneeded crap that the the lower to middle class is paying and we still get more and more, deeper and deeper in debt. How brilliant! This new healthcare rule sucks…. and it NEEDS THE SUPPORT OF A REPEAL before it’s too late…….Bernie Sanders is right!!…

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  39. Hello, I have a question. My wife and I has insurance which we pay our self and get subsidy. I’m going to get insurance form company on May. This is very good for us because price is way going down. Question is My wife is going to visit her country for 2 months, and I am thinking to cancel her insurance which we are paying now because we can save some money. If I just cancel her insurance for 2 months, still we get penalty? She is not citizen, just green card, but we get subsidy. Is there any way to contact with government for excuse about this? Please give me a advice. Thank you.

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  40. I am 29 years old and live with my dad, but he didn’t have insurance during 2014. When I input that information on my tax form I was penalized. I thought only the individual who didn’t have insurance was to be penalized?

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  41. Relax, everyone is now exempt from the Obamacare Penalty and mandate to get covered. Until 2017 arrives, I would not touch upon this. There is to be a hearing in 2017 that may gut the plan, update it or kill it completely. If you’re an adult, not covered and are being pressured by others about it, IGNORE IT. You have 2 years time to chill until a final decision is made about it. If they end up killing it and you already applied, you’re gonna get stuck in one of their loop holes and have to owe for the next decade. So I implore you folks, if you didn’t do anything yet, LEAVE IT LIKE THAT. 2 years time… let’s see what happens.

    Reply
    • Where can I get definitive information that everyone is exempt from the Obamacare Penalty until 2017? That sure would bring me some relief, but I need to know that it is true.

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      • Sorry Sooshi. This is not a valid comment from Null. I.e everyone is NOT exempt from Obamacare penalty. You would still owe it for 2014 if you did not have qualifying insurance.

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    • My CPA automatically deducted over 300.00 from my tax return and acted like shame you for not having insurance, I didn’t even get a chance to fight it. I was like what ever, take it.

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  42. “The only way that they can collect the penalty or the fine is by taking money from your refund. If you are not owed a refund, they cannot get money from you.”
    If you don’t get a refund next year, the “IRS could carry over the sum due and apply it against any refunds in future years. On a joint return, the penalty of one joint filer could be applied against the refund due to the other joint filer”
    “If you don’t pay it, all they can do is wait until they owe you some money and take that. Or probably just send you a letter every now and then reminding you that you owe money to the IRS,”
    And by the way, once the IRS assesses the penalty, they’ve got 10 years to collect.
    Anyone can verify this information themselves. It is even on the Obamacare website. Why is this not mentioned in your article? I am not owed a refund and I am not going to pay the penalty either! I would rather owe the IRS forever than cheat them out of it.

    Reply
    • @Kimgalex
      I had the same exact thought but it didn’t work out that way! This is what happened to us. We owed the IRS a small amount this year and I wanted to pay the tax we owed but not the penalty for not having insurance. The IRS counts the “fine” as “other tax” on their forms and groups the 2 amounts together! The voucher printed out for me to pay the tax and fine are totaled together. If you send in just the “tax” amount you owe, they pay the “fine” first so it means you underpaid you taxes and the IRS starts adding interest and late fees until paid in full! I was NOT going to pay this bogus “fine” but have no choice unless I want to add interest and late fees to my actual taxes. The IRS knew nobody would pay if they kept it separate so even though this is America, you have no way to protest by not paying. Insurance cost are off the chain and I refuse to pay for it. The “fines” stink but are way cheaper then the $800.00 a month for sub-par coverage. My husband and I had to wrap our minds around it and just pretend we are now in a higher tax bracket to not have our heads explode!

      Reply
      • Gin from what you are saying is the way to get around the penalty is to structure your ytaxes so they owe you money a

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      • Gin from what you are learned when you did your taxes in your reply to Kimgalex, do you think the way to get around the penalty is to try and structure your taxes so they owe you a small refund then they will take that and apply it to their theft?

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  43. I, like many others, was forced to purchase health coverage because of Obama Care. Previously, I paid for all medical out of pocket at a greatly reduced rate. Now that I have health care insurance which requires a $400/month premium, I pay upwards of 3x the amount for the same services ON TOP of the premium. Case in point, I need to get an MRI on my shoulder. My price WITH insurance $1845. That’s what I have to pay outside of coverage. I called the facility and pretended I didn’t have insurance and asked the cost of the same MRI procedure… Cash price without insurance, $545…
    So, I now pay almost $5,000/year for insurance which increases my out of pocket expenditures 3 fold. Thanks Obama and stupid socialists everywhere!

    Reply
      • Because it’s 95 dollars or a percentage of income whichever is higher. one percent for 2014, 2 percent for 2015, 2.5 percent for 2016. It’s 695 dollars or the percentage, whichever is higher starting in 2016 and beyond. I can buy a catastrophic insurance policy outside of ocare which is not ocare compliant to cap my out of pocket at 10,000 dollars for 60 dollars per month. Ocare would cost me 420 per month with 6300 out of pocket and is useless for anything other than a major event. It’s less costly to just pay the penalty and buy a 2 million dollar policy than pay for the ripoff ocare welfare plan that subsidizes everyone else at a large expense. We need to go to a market based insurance similar to what we have before ocare but with greater competition to lower cost. Insurance should be only for major expense to protect against bankruptcy, not for everyday expenses. Anyone with preexisting conditons should be able to buy a catastrophic plan that covers every major event other than their current condition which could be covered based on income via some pool of tax money. The entire health insurance industry was turned upside down to cover a few million people at much greater cost. Insurance or medicaid are not the same as health care. The insurance makes the cost of everything more and does not help with the health care problem in this country. If all everyday things were paid for out of pocket, the costs would go way down due to competition and the free market. Providers would be forced to advertise prices and compete for business driving the cost down.

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        • AMEN. I’m CANCELING insurance end of this year 2015 for my family. I have no choice. I don’t have the money especially when dr. visits won’t be covered until we reach a $6000 deductible. I’ll pay out of pocket.

        • Actually the plans have a copay for doctor visits that is the only charge if participating and preferred. For instance my plan is $30 for pcp.

    • I agree with you 100% Jeff. We can thank Ocrappo and the stupid morons who voted for him for this crappola. Hopefully, we’ll get a decent Tea Party candidate in the White House in 2016 who’ll put a stop to this mess.

      Reply
    • I agree. This is rediculous and it should be my decision to not have health insurance. I also pay out of pocket and save in the long run. Why should we have to pay? Just because the government says!!! I’m better off just paying the fines because it is still cheaper than what i’m having to pay out of pocket and premiums. Dang!!!! I’m already getting taxed on my last year tax returns (1099) from state and federal. When is someone going to do something about that? How can all this be legal because of ” Congress’ Interpretation of The Law”?

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  44. I was employed up to July of 2014 but I was covered with health insurance till the end of July 2014. My husband’s employer does not offer Heath insurance thus he was under my health coverage. My question is… Are we going both going to be penalized for not being covered for the remaining 5month? If so how much? Is it $95 or $500dlrs.

    Reply
    • @Rafael Arce
      We were covered until the end of May so the penalty was prorated. We paid a prorated penalty for the remaining months and it was more than double the $95.00 for each of us. It really stinks!

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  45. Retired at age 62.. No insurance till I started getting Medicare at age 65. Signed up for Medicare April 1 2014 to be effective July 1st for my birthday month of age 65. You have to sign up 3 months before your birthday month. Will I be penalized for 2014? Thank you.

    Reply

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