Health Care Reform Assumes Millions Would Pay Fine Rather Than Get Coverage

Look at this. More proof that this healthcare reform is a trainwreck in the making. First the NY Times called it the worse peice of legislation EVER written and now this.

Ernest Istook, a former Republican congressman from Oklahoma who is now a fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, calculated that anywhere between 8 million and 14 million people would end up paying the fines.

This raises a few problems, he said. First, if those millions somehow get covered and don't pay the fine, then the health program is faced with a budget hole.

Second, he said, it speaks to a flaw with the insurance packages that are being offered. "If you say people would rather pay $167 billion in penalties rather than buy insurance under your new plan, what's wrong with your new plan?" he asked.

The answer, Istook said: "It's expensive."

Source

Let us all Hope that they don't pass this huge pile of Monkey Poo!


[edit on 4-11-2009 by HotSauce]

And no one is speaking about the concerns of people like me, who can neither afford insurance, NOR a fine.

Destined for prison just for being alive? Great. Lovely. Welcome to freakin earth.

reply to post by Jomina


Dude, I feel for you. I supose if you are that broke then they will just put you on Medicaid or something. They don't mind you if you are poor, but if you are middle class they want you to be poor so you become more government dependent.

I would much rather pay the fine than pay a single penny to these insurance companies. Hell I would rather go to jail than pay these corporate pigs anything. What they call insurance is nothing of the sort. They have no real product, what they have is endless paperwork, denials, refusals, and cancellations.

People that fought against this health care reform and thereby screwed up any real chance this country has really should be ashamed of themselves. Because the way it is going to work is going to just give insurance companies so much power to up your premiums it's going to force people either into bankruptcy or to force them to pay a fine to the government when the premiums are too high.

Thanks GOP, your real winners Opposing anything the dems bring up just because of party differences. You all should be ashamed. Maybe try representing your constituency instead of your financial backers and your party politics for once.

Originally posted by Jomina
And no one is speaking about the concerns of people like me, who can neither afford insurance, NOR a fine.

Destined for prison just for being alive? Great. Lovely. Welcome to freakin earth.

But there is good news! Prison offers free health care.

I can assure you I won't be buying anyone's insurance, I won't be paying any fines, and I sure won't be going to prison.

At this rate Congress better be sure it's keeping up with it's own insurance premiums because there is an excellent chance they are going to need it!

reply to post by whatukno


Well you should thank the "Progresive" Democrats for this boondoggle. They wrote it alll by themselves in a closed room with no transparency as they promised. So when you get the fines and insurance rates sky rocket find the nearest "Progresive" Democrat and tell them thanks for bending me over.

[edit on 4-11-2009 by HotSauce]

Originally posted by Jomina
And no one is speaking about the concerns of people like me, who can neither afford insurance, NOR a fine.

Destined for prison just for being alive? Great. Lovely. Welcome to freakin earth.

i agree...they are using this to control, and if u dont bend over, theyll fine u and or imprison you...gotta love america, land of the free? home of the elite?

I sure as hell hope they pass mandated health care.

When they do, they just broke the LAST FRACKING CONSTITUTIONAL LAW.

That will be it. I know hundreds in my town that have said they can stick this crap where-well you know.

And 3 squares and a bed look pretty good right about now. Hell, I will be filing cases for every single person I meet their. Their courts will be clogged for the next 50 years.

FRACK THEM.

reply to post by HotSauce


Committees aren't congress, please learn to tell the difference. What did they do once they finished the bill? They released it online for everyone to see. And be honest, you wouldn't have watched it anyway.

I smell black market medicine coming to America soon. Might be cheaper than paying the fine, or paying into a system that is obviously designed around corporations maintaining control of medicine.