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6.5 Million Americans Paid a Fine Rather than sign up for Obamacare Coverage
Ballotpedia The Encyclopedia of American Politics ^ | August 9, 2017 | Scott Rasmussen

Posted on 08/09/2017 3:12:12 PM PDT by CitizenBob

The individual healthcare mandate requires every American to buy health insurance or pay a fine. In 2016, 6.5 million Americans chose to pay the fine rather than sign up for insurance on the Obamacare exchanges...

In addition to those who pay the fine rather than buy the mandated levels of insurance, 15 million people would drop their Obamacare coverage if it were legal to do so.

This does not necessarily mean that these individuals want to go without insurance. Obamacare requires every insurance policy to cover a set of what it defines as Essential Health Benefits.[2] The more benefits that a plan covers, the more expensive it is. Some people might prefer to buy less comprehensive insurance at a lower cost. For example, one option might be to buy insurance only for major healthcare costs such as surgeries or hospitalizations.

Since most Americans receive health insurance from their employer, the rising cost of healthcare is a key factor holding down wage growth. If the cost of benefits were the same today as a generation ago, the average pay for full-time workers would be more than $3,300 higher annually. Some people might prefer a bigger paycheck and less comprehensive coverage.

He notes that “only about 40 percent of those eligible for subsidies have signed up for coverage. In what other business or government program would such a dismal acceptance by those it was targeted to serve be considered a success?”[1]


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aca; obamacare
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To: Terry Mross
They paid a fine and STILL didn’t get insurance.

Yes. We paid the fine and our medical bills as well.

21 posted on 08/09/2017 3:45:59 PM PDT by Liberty Valance (Keep a Simple Manner for a Happy Life :o)
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To: Responsibility2nd
Sounds like there are 6.5 million people out there who are pretty dumb.

If you filed a return for 2016 and didn't file the form to report that you had no health coverage, the penalty was basically waived anyway by President Trump in one of his first executive orders as president.

22 posted on 08/09/2017 3:52:37 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris." -- President Trump, 6/1/2017)
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To: gibsonguy
Of course it was a tax -- and it always was. Roberts was 100% correct on that point.

What else would it be? The stupid thing is administered by the IRS.

23 posted on 08/09/2017 3:53:22 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris." -- President Trump, 6/1/2017)
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To: july4thfreedomfoundation
Anyone lacking health insurance was told NOT to pay a penalty.

That's partially correct.

If you filed your tax return and didn't include the form that is used to report your health coverage (or lack of it), then the IRS accepted the return and you were not assessed a penalty.

However, if you filed your tax return and DID include the form to report your health coverage for 2016, then the penalty would apply.

I'm trying to figure out why anyone would have included this form if the IRS wasn't going to enforce the penalty anyway.

24 posted on 08/09/2017 3:55:49 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris." -- President Trump, 6/1/2017)
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To: Responsibility2nd

And those who qualified for a Hardship Waver.

All it took was a single disconnect notice from a utility.


25 posted on 08/09/2017 3:57:49 PM PDT by digger48
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To: CitizenBob

So now is the time for some of those 6.5 million to file claims against the IRS and eventually get a tax case before SCOTUS. At that point, will Chief Justice Roberts help strike down ACA as an illegal tax scheme or come up with another excuse?


26 posted on 08/09/2017 4:11:12 PM PDT by Chewbarkah
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To: Alberta's Child

“I’m trying to figure out why anyone would have included this form if the IRS wasn’t going to enforce the penalty anyway.”

It changed part-way thru the tax season.

You were never required to file a 1095 (form proving health care coverage) with your return. You could simply declare you HAD coverage - and not be fined. Oops...sorry...”taxed”. But of course, the IRS could always track you down later and get you for filing a false tax return.

Part way thru the season, the IRS agreed to take returns where the tax payer remained SILENT about their coverage. But they still retain the right to go back and charge you a penalty.

Since they audit less than 1% of returns, a tax payer is not at high risk.


27 posted on 08/09/2017 4:11:54 PM PDT by Mr Rogers
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To: fwdude

6.5 million Americans paid their Obamafine?


28 posted on 08/09/2017 4:29:29 PM PDT by The_Media_never_lie (Is it not too late to appoint a special counsel to investigate Hillary's crimes?)
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To: CitizenBob

Thanks, John Roberts!

Thanks for helping the criminal Democrats and Obama harm so many!

Great job!


29 posted on 08/09/2017 4:37:21 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ....)
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To: Responsibility2nd; Bullish; SkyPilot; Roman_War_Criminal

Yep. Or could not find work during the Depression II called “The Obama Years”?


30 posted on 08/09/2017 4:38:28 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ....)
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To: editor-surveyor

“Staying away from doctors keeps one healthy, and off of their deadly drugs!”

I sing the same tune. I do go to the VA clinic for regular checkups but only because I may need something other than a prescription and don’t want to drop out of the system. I have had two surgeries in the VA hospital in the past three years and both turned out very well. I also had a colostomy there in 2011, maybe I should call that surgery, they did remove a “precancerous” polyp from my colon. I have to constantly refuse chronic medications though. Now they want to put me on blood pressure medicine simply because at age 73 my systolic reading sometimes goes to 140 or a little higher. I don’t know of one thing that medicine will do except hide symptoms. I have been diabetic for ten years and take no medicine for that and they say that my blood tests show no evidence of any damage to kidneys, liver etc. They try to put me on cholesterol medicine but as far as I am concerned their whole theory is totally discredited in that area. I am not going to take a medicine which has actually been advertised on TV along with an onscreen disclaimer saying there is no evidence that it will reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke or death. What do I care what it does to affect my cholesterol reading if it does NOTHING to protect my health and has a huge list of possible side effects up to and including death?


31 posted on 08/09/2017 4:51:28 PM PDT by RipSawyer
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To: CitizenBob

And some did neither. If you are getting a tax ‘refund’ you are paying too much in. Don’t give the government an interest free loan.


32 posted on 08/09/2017 5:00:43 PM PDT by reaganaut (In a flash, we went from normal people tolerating abnormal people to abnormal people jailing normal)
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To: smokingfrog

//How many have died because they didn’t have 0bamacare?//

How many died because they did?


33 posted on 08/09/2017 5:01:31 PM PDT by reaganaut (In a flash, we went from normal people tolerating abnormal people to abnormal people jailing normal)
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To: Responsibility2nd

There are those who don’t pay the fine period ... since the IRS does not have the enforcement tools to force the Obamacare fine, like they can do with delinquent Income Taxes.

If you owe on regular Income Taxes (i.e. not getting a refund), just pay what you own for Income Taxes and don’t pay the fine.


34 posted on 08/09/2017 5:46:32 PM PDT by CapnJack
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To: Mears

Like most things socialist: they only let you vote once, vote “yes” for what they want, and thereafter they assumed that their programs are the natural state of your life.


35 posted on 08/09/2017 5:54:05 PM PDT by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: CitizenBob

There are only about 10 million on Obamacare now so if you completely abolished Obamacare only 10 million would lose their coverage.


36 posted on 08/09/2017 6:12:34 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: CitizenBob

If President Trump is sincere about “Let it fail’ ...
he will issue another EO directing the Infernal Revenue Service to disregard penalties/taxes on those of us who do not qualify for an exemption, who have enough income so that there’s no subsidy (no free healthcare), but not enough to afford *crappy* Obamacare `Bronze’ coverage.
We need that income to pay our medical bills, not the surgery bills of some trannie.


37 posted on 08/09/2017 6:13:08 PM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives)
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To: CitizenBob

How many millions didn’t sign up for 0bungleCare and didn’t pay the fine either?

I’m in that group.


38 posted on 08/09/2017 7:06:57 PM PDT by TigersEye (0bama. The Legacy is a lie. The lie is the Legacy.)
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To: reaganaut

The democrats keep telling us that people will die if they lose their Obamacare. I’d like to know how many people that have chosen not to pay for Obamacare have died.


39 posted on 08/09/2017 7:12:33 PM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: CitizenBob

I’ve personally been robbed of over $1000 since the fining began. Insurance is beyond my current pay grade so my policy is 34 and cautious. That’s all I can afford. All O’care’s uninsured penalty is is a Chicago-style mobster protection fee. Thanks Judge Roberts, ya fink.


40 posted on 08/09/2017 7:54:26 PM PDT by conservativeimage (Lock and Load, Ready to Roll.)
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