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Senate bill fines people refusing health coverage (public ‘option’ will be forced? RomneyCare!)
AP via Google ^ | 7/02/09 | RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

Posted on 07/02/2009 3:18:48 PM PDT by Libloather

Senate bill fines people refusing health coverage
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR – 58 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans who refuse to buy affordable medical coverage could be hit with fines of more than $1,000 under a health care overhaul bill unveiled Thursday by key Senate Democrats looking to fulfill President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated the fines will raise around $36 billion over 10 years. Senate aides said the penalties would be modeled on the approach taken by Massachusetts, which now imposes a fine of about $1,000 a year on individuals who refuse to get coverage. Under the federal legislation, families would pay higher penalties than individuals.

In a revamped health care system envisioned by lawmakers, people would be required to carry health insurance just like motorists must get auto coverage now. The government would provide subsidies for the poor and many middle-class families, but those who still refuse to sign up would face penalties.

Called "shared responsibility payments," the fines would be set at least half the cost of basic medical coverage, according to the legislation.

In 2008, employer-provided coverage averaged $12,680 a year for a family plan, and $4,704 for individual coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's annual survey. Senate aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the cost of the federal plan would be lower but declined to provide specifics.

The legislation would exempt certain hardship cases from fines.

The new proposals were released as Congress neared the end of a weeklong July 4 break, with lawmakers expected to quickly take up health care legislation when they return to Washington. With deepening divisions along partisan and ideological lines, the complex legislation faces an uncertain future.

(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bho44; bhohealthcare; bill; commie; coverage; health; hillarycareredux; romney; romneycare; romneytruthfile; senate; socialism; tyranny
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To: Pearls Before Swine
"Will anything change under the new bill"

Sure well all be much poorer (well most of us anyway, not the newly minted citizens).

21 posted on 07/02/2009 3:51:35 PM PDT by WHBates
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To: Pearls Before Swine

naw...he (or she) will do exactly what they do now (that has bankrupted so many socal hospitals and reduced access to care for everyone) - change their name as soon as they leave the hospital - fluid id = no way to find them.


22 posted on 07/02/2009 3:52:56 PM PDT by blueplum
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To: Libloather
I love the "hardship" exemption. Just who in the hell can pay a $1,000 fine without a second thought?

If people could afford health insurance, most would have it now.

How do you fine people who can't afford to pay?

What happens if you refuse to pay the fine?

Do you end up in jail while your neighbor is exempt and need not pay a thing because he or she has a great sob story?

23 posted on 07/02/2009 3:59:36 PM PDT by NoControllingLegalAuthority
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To: erkyl
I also assume they figure it is the same thing, but of course it isn't.

It will actually be a transfer payment dressed up like insurance. Like a drag queen with an obvious big Adam's Apple, it ain't what it appears.

Scotus found the social security and progressive income taxes to be constitutional about 70 years ago. There is no hope they will find against Obamacare in any form.

24 posted on 07/02/2009 4:03:43 PM PDT by Jacquerie (To find our enemies look no further than the Congress.)
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To: Libloather

Nothing short of a tax on being alive.


25 posted on 07/02/2009 4:05:21 PM PDT by SpaceBar
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To: Libloather

I can’t afford health insurance, have spent all my money on ammo.


26 posted on 07/02/2009 4:05:50 PM PDT by atomic_dog
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To: Libloather

ok, so the cost for an individual is 4700 give or take. But what age group? Kaiser sent me a signup quote that said $119 for 18-29 - that’s about $1,200/year. Blue Cross was a few dollars more. That’s with a 500/deductable. The govt plan will be a little less. We don’t know what the deductable is yet. The fine is 1000. I think a lot of people who normally don’t want to carry insurance (those 10feettall and bulletproof yutes) will be paying the fine - it’s cheaper. And obviously the gubment is expecting people to pay the fines, since they are talking about how much they will raise in fine revenue. And special interests will get fine waivers. And if you pay a fine does that mean your medical treatment is then free? for how long? how many times can you be fined in one year? does your deductable count towards the fine? How does this fine plan guarantee coverage for “97 percent of Americans” ? Will this plan be 1200 pages too? Will anyone get to actually read the plan?


27 posted on 07/02/2009 4:06:24 PM PDT by blueplum
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To: Libloather
I really do hope the House version of the Socialized Medicine bill has this provision in it. The more loony ideas it has, the less likely the Senate will enact any version of the puppy.

Because the Democrats will do the real dirty work in the joint House-Senate conference committee to iron out the differences in their two versions. There can't be a Senate filibuster of the final version which comes out of that committee. A filibuster can only stop the Senate from passing its own version. This makes it vital to keep the Senate from passing any version of the thing.

28 posted on 07/02/2009 4:07:18 PM PDT by Thud
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To: Libloather
In 2008, employer-provided coverage averaged $12,680 a year for a family plan ... Senate aides.. said the cost of the federal plan would be lower but declined to provide specifics.

Oh sure. When govt does stuff it always costs less!

Here's one specific for ya: our govt blue cross is about 13K a year.

29 posted on 07/02/2009 4:11:54 PM PDT by freespirited (Is this a nation of laws or a nation of Democrats? -- Charles Krauthammer)
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To: Libloather
How totally ignorant of these pukes. We've got about 16 million unemployed folks and they don't have incomes to pay for the plans.

Yet, they could be subject to ruinous fines, and absent an income to pay the fines, one must suppose the pukes in the Senate intend to jail them.

"Are there no prisons. Are there no workhouses" "The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?"

I think our most Liberal members of the Senate need go no further than "A Christmas Carol" or maybe some other work by Dickens, to find language to support their attitude toward those who have no money, and the poor, and the sick.

Gad!

30 posted on 07/02/2009 4:13:05 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: NoControllingLegalAuthority

31 posted on 07/02/2009 4:14:25 PM PDT by ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas (Obama's multi- trillion dollar agenda would be a "man caused disaster")
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To: Libloather

coverage worth 12,000 in exchange for a 1,000 fine? Where do I pay my fine?


32 posted on 07/02/2009 4:15:44 PM PDT by Raycpa
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To: Jim Scott
If this is ever taken to court SCOTUS will put a stamp of approval on it even though it is clearly illegal for the feds to essentially tax people for being alive.

The “lower” cost estimate is because they will drop the “government alternative” plan. That was just put there to create drama and get people to accept this fascist style health care plan.

We will see 5 to 10 RINOs in the Senate vote for this bill.

And on a slightly different note I will NOT vote for Romney. If that means BHO is reelected in 2012 so be it.

33 posted on 07/02/2009 4:21:08 PM PDT by Aglooka (Posting from New Hampshachusetts (Formerly New Hampshire))
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To: Libloather

What about Christian Scientists or others who have a religious belief against medicine?


34 posted on 07/02/2009 4:36:42 PM PDT by Anima Mundi
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To: Libloather
so if somebody is well enough off to SELF INSURE, they can be fined for not paying for govt care???
35 posted on 07/02/2009 4:37:41 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - Obama is basically Jim Jones with a teleprompter)
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To: Libloather
Lets see them enforce it.

It's unconstitutional.

they can shove it up their bleep
36 posted on 07/02/2009 4:45:35 PM PDT by Safrguns
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To: Aglooka

I agree re: Romney.


37 posted on 07/02/2009 4:48:39 PM PDT by MortMan (Power without responsibility-the prerogative of the harlot throughout the ages. - Rudyard Kipling)
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To: Libloather

They can kiss my ass!! Friggin traitors!!


38 posted on 07/02/2009 4:49:09 PM PDT by unixfox (The 13th Amendment Abolished Slavery, The 16th Amendment Reinstated It !)
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To: NorwegianViking

I can avoid car insurance by not owning a car. Can I do the same with health insurance?


39 posted on 07/02/2009 4:51:27 PM PDT by Tai_Chung
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To: Tai_Chung
I can avoid car insurance by not owning a car. Can I do the same with health insurance?

Yes, by asking for the euthanasia benefit up front.

40 posted on 07/02/2009 4:52:43 PM PDT by steve86 (Acerbic by nature, not nurture)
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