Posted on 03/14/2014 1:55:01 AM PDT by markomalley
Health and Human service released a seven page bulletin Wednesday announcing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service's decision to extend the transitional policy of the Affordable Care Act by two years, to Oct. 1, 2016.
Effectively, this makes the individual mandate -- the requirement that all individuals purchase insurance by the end of March or face a tax penalty -- considered by many to be the backbone of the Affordable Care Act, an option one can opt out of rather than a requirement.
The transitional policy allows for hardship exemption from the tax penalty if an individual can’t afford to sign up for coverage. Previously, exemptions were only offered in extreme cases -- such as bankruptcy, eviction, or homelessness -- and required documentation, while the current language allows users to seek exemption if they “consider other available policies unaffordable" or if they “experienced another hardship in obtaining health insurance," and only requires "documentation if possible.”
Critics claim the individual mandate was “the core” of ObamaCare, citing the insurance industry’s concern that it would only be able to afford to insure the elderly and those with preexisting conditions if the individual mandate forced millions of healthy young Americans to pay for policies as well.
Fox News called the move a “death knell” for ObamaCare and the New York Post says Obama’s administration has given up on making the ACA work.
The Wall Street Journal says, “our sources in the insurance industry are worried the regulatory loophole sets a mandate non-enforcement precedent, and they're probably right. The longer it is not enforced, the less likely any President will enforce it.” This concern comes in the same week Congress attempted to pass a bill that would allow them to sue the president for not enforcing the law.
Whether the loosening of the individual mandate actually belies the end of ObamaCare or simply makes the Affordable Care Act more compassionate to those who can’t afford care remains to be seen.
Bad link to hardship application....
Yep.
Same here.
Thats what I was thinking. Barky is dismantling it on his own.
“What we are going to wind up with is millions more on medicaid and no individual actually paying their own way.”
There’s not much to pay for on Medicaid since obtaining actual medical care is almost impossible.
They have to have some way to exempt Democrats while forcing Republicans to pay the full freight - otherwise, this thing has no chance of working even in a Socialist Utopia.
And “domestic abuse” — in my lexicon — includes abuse coming from the government here domestically.
By that measure, I am MOST CERTAINLY a victim of such “domestic abuse”; I have the tax records to PROVE it beyond all reasonable doubt.
That hardship’ option is also available in canadastan where I’m originally from. You just write them a long letter (or sob story) explaining why you cant pay your monthly premiums and you are off the hook. Know lots of people who did that. If they wanted a bank statement which happens (rarely), just show them your latest one with no money in it.
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