The penalty was that if you didn’t have insurance you had to pay the bill. When I was younger my appendix burst and I wound up in the hospital for 2 wks. As luck would have it I had just quit one job and was supposed to start another so....no insurance. I don’t know about now but back then when the job finished so did your insurance at the end of the month.
Anyway I got billed by the hospital. I actually went to the accounting office at the hospital and negotiated a different price and a payment schedule. I paid every single month until the bill was paid. That was the penalty for not having insurance.
” ....got billed by the hospital. I actually went to the accounting office at the hospital and negotiated a different price and a payment schedule. I paid every single month until the bill was paid. That was the penalty for not having insurance”
Exactly how it should be done.